Ultra-performance LC-ESI/Q-TOF MS for the Rapid Analysis of Rivaroxaban: Method Validation Using Experimental Design for Robustness Evaluation

A Validated Chiral-RP-UPLC-MS/MS Method for the Enantiomeric Detection of Rivaroxaban In vitro

Background:

Rivaroxaban is the first oral, selective direct FXa inhibitor with rapid onset of action and its biological toxicity may be related to the enantiomer. </P><P> Objective: The aim of the current study was to develop and validate a precise, accurate, and specific direct Chiral-RP-UPLC-MS/MS method for the enantiomeric separation and detection of rivaroxaban and its enantiomer.

Methods:

The present study screened various conditions of chromatographic and mass spectra, including chromatographic column model, flow velocity, phase ratio, column temperature, and collision energy, parent/daughter ion pairs, etc. Try to match the chromatographic and mass spectrometric conditions.

Results:

Good Rs (Rs>2.5) was achieved on a Chiralpak IC column (4.6 × 250 mm, 5µm) using H2O:acetonitrile (10:90) as mobile phase at 25 oC column temperature. The rate of flow was set at 0.4 ml/min and enantiomers were detected by triple-quadruple tandem mass spectrometry using positive electrospray ionization (ESI) with MRM transitions of m/z 436.07>144.95. The cone voltage and collision energy were kept at 48 V and 28 eV, respectively. The limit of detection and quantification of (S)- rivaroxaban were 0.39 and 1.30 ng/ml, respectively. This method was validated and found to be selective, precise, accurate, linear and robust for the quantitative determination of chiral impurities. It is also a good application for the blood samples analysis in vitro.

Conclusion:

Chiral-RP-UPLC-MS/MS method has entirely detected (S)-rivaroxaban and its (R)- enantiomer in very low concentration and complex matrix directly, especially for blood samples.

An overview of experimental designs in HPLC method development and validation

Chemometric approaches have been increasingly viewed as precious complements to high performance liquid chromatographic practices, since a large number of variables can be simultaneously controlled to achieve the desired separations. Moreover, their applications may efficiently identify and optimize the significant factors to accomplish competent results through limited experimental trials. The present manuscript discusses usefulness of various chemometric approaches in high and ultra performance liquid chromatography for (i) methods development from dissolution studies and sample preparation to detection, considering the progressive substitution of traditional detectors with tandem mass spectrometry instruments and the importance of stability indicating assays (ii) method validation through screening and optimization designs. Choice of appropriate types of experimental designs so as to either screen the most influential factors or optimize the selected factors' combination and the mathematical models in chemometry have been briefly recalled and the advantages of chemometric approaches have been emphasized. The evolution of the design of experiments to the Quality by Design paradigm for method development has been reviewed and the Six Sigma practice as a quality indicator in chromatography has been explained. Chemometric applications and various strategies in chromatographic separations have been described.