Chromatographic analysis of griseofulvin and metabolites in biological fluids.

A simple and accurate assay for the determination of griseofulvin and its metabolites in biological fluids using high-performance liquid chromatography is described. Using a reversed phase column and a mobile phase solvent of 45% acetonitrile in 0.1 M acetic acid, baseline separation of griseofulvin and several analogues was obtained. The described method allows one to quantitatively determine griseofulvin, 6-demethylgriseofulvin, and griseofulvic acid, a newly identified metabolite in man, in urine and plasma samples. Treatment of plasma samples prior to the analysis is simply made by deproteinizing the samples with an equal volume of acetonitrile. For urine samples, the procedure involves diethyl ether extraction with subsequent evaporation to dryness and reconstitution with the mobile phase solvent.