High-pressure liquid chromatographic method for determination of metoclopramide in serum, urine, and saliva, with a pharmacokinetic study in patients

Abstract

A method for determination of metoclopramide in serum, urine, and saliva is described that can be applied to both pharmacokinetic and clinical studies. Metoclopramide was extracted from alkalinised plasma into dichloro-methane and chromatographed on a Micro-Pak Si-5 column using a mobile phase of dichloromethane/methanol/diethylamine (89:10:1, by volume). The column was maintained at 25°C and the eluate monitored at 308 nm. The retention time for metoclopramide was 4.7 min. The limit of sensitivity in serum and urine was 15 nmol/L and 3 µmol/L, respectively, with coefficients of variation of 5.4 and 3.84%, respectively. Recovery was in the range of 93110% for serum and 94-103% for urine. The limit of sensitivity in saliva was 15 nmol/L. In more than 210 samples analyzed to date, the only drugs known to have interfered with the assay are β-adrenoceptor blockers (e.g., propranolol). The metabolites of metoclopramide did not interfere with the quantitation of the parent drug. © 1984 Raven Press, New York.