Quantitation of digitoxin and the bis- and monodigitoxosides of digitoxigenin in serum.

A specific assay is described for measuring the concentration of digitoxin and the bis- and monoglycosides of digitoxigenin in serum. The procedure includes: (1) addition of a tracer amount of tritium labeled parent compound to the serum in order to measure percentage recovery; (2) solvent extraction to separate polar and non-polar metabolites; (3) reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography of the non-polar fraction to separate digoxigenins from digitoxigenins; (4) thin-layer chromatography to isolate digitoxin, and the bis- and monoglycosides of digitoxigenin; and (5) use of an 125I-radioimmunoassay to determine the concentration of the glycosides. Each of these three glycosides was administered intravenously to a normal subject, and the concentration of parent compound was measured in the serum at various times.