Quantitative analysis of veralipride in plasma and urine by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography with flame-ionization detection.

A highly sensitive and selective quantitative assay for unchanged veralipride has been developed. The compound is extracted from alkalized samples (plasma or urine) with dichloromethane and converted to its trimethylated derivative by reaction with trimethylanilinium hydroxide. The reaction mixture is then chromatographed on a 3% OV-1 column. Trimethylated derivatives of plasma samples were assayed by selected-ion monitoring in the chemical-ionization mode and quantified by comparing the intensity of the quasi-molecular ion m/z 426 (M + H) with the intensity of the corresponding ion from trideuterated internal standard, m/z 429 (M + H). Flame-ionization detection was used for the assay of urine samples. The peak height ratio of trimethylated veralipride over trimethylated sulpiride, the internal standard, was used for quantitation of urine samples. A relative standard deviation of less than 10% was found when quantifying 10 ng/ml veralipride in plasma or 1 microgram/ml in urine.