Use of pH to Increase the Sensitivity of a Bioanalytical Assay
This article describes a strategy for increasing the sensitivity of the bioanalytical assays through manipulation of the pH of the mobile phase and the use of column technology that is robust to a wide pH range.
High-sensitivity bioanalytical assays are critical for the full elucidation of pharmacokinetic profiles of drugs at very low exposure; and are also required when sample volume is limited as in the case of paediatric samples or low volume samples from small rodent studies. The use of LC–MS–MS for bioanalytical assays confers a high level of specificity and sensitivity for the analyte of interest but when the limits of a mass spectrometer are met, other means of increasing the sensitivity of an assay must be investigated. This article describes a strategy for increasing the sensitivity of the bioanalytical assays through manipulation of the pH of the mobile phase and the use of column technology that is robust to a wide pH range.
