How Good is Your Sample Preparation?

Sample preparation is used routinely for bioanalysis due to the complexity of the matrix. Typically this contains a range of compounds from simple salts to large protein structures, with concentration ranges covering many orders of magnitude. Mass spectrometry is commonly used for bioanalysis, which with the discovery of ion suppression, now requires the removal of the matrix.

Several approaches can be taken to remove the matrix, including turbulent flow chromatography, solid-phase extraction (SPE), liquid–liquid extraction, protein precipitation and ultrafiltration. This article focuses on two of the more common techniques applied to the analysis of a series of benzodiazepines in a biological matrix. It studies methods to optimize SPE and also demonstrates that the use of a generic method is not always ideal due to the amount of matrix components left in the final eluant.

Click here for the full article in The Column