High Performance Liquid Chromatographic Method for Direct Determination of Diazepam in Whole Blood and Serum – Optimization of Solid-Phase Extraction Method

Herein, we present a simple and rapid high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method with UV-detection for the direct determination of diazepam in whole blood and serum that can be used for monitoring diazepam levels in clinical samples analysis. The isolation of diazepam and the internal standard bromazepam from serum and whole blood samples was performed using solid phase extraction method with RP select B cartridges. The analytes were separated employing a reversed phase C8 column with a mobile phase composed of 0.1 % (V/V) triethylamine in water (pH 3.5) and acetonitrile (63:37, V/V). UV detection was carried out at 240 nm. Linearity was achieved in the range from 10.0-1000.0 ng/ml for serum and whole blood. The method was applied to spiked and real biological samples after an oral administration of 10 mg diazepam. In conclusion, the proposed method is simple, rapid and provides efficient clean-up of the complex biological matrix and high recovery of diazepam.