Abstract
The direct separation of isobaric glucuronide metabolites from propranolol dosed tissue extracts by differential mobility spectrometry – mass spectrometry (DMS-MS) with the use of a polar gas-phase chemical modifier was demonstrated. The DMS gas-phase separation was able to resolve the isobaric metabolites with separation times on the order of ms instead of mins to hrs typically required when using pre-ionization chromatographic separation methods. Direct separation of isobaric metabolites from the complex tissue extract was validated using standards as well as implementing an HPLC separation prior to the DMS-MS analysis to pre-separate the species of interest. The ability to separate isobaric exogenous metabolites directly from a complex tissue extract is expected to facilitate the drug development process by increasing analytical throughput without the requirement for pre-ionization cleanup or separation strategies.
