Ion-pair extraction of [3H]stobadine from biological fluids

A simple and specific radiometric assay was developed for the determination of stobadine, a cardioprotective drug, in the serum of experimental animals. The assay is based on a single extraction step of the radioactively labeled drug from serum into the benzene solution of dicarbolide of cobalt followed by quantitation of the extracted radioactivity by using liquid scintillation counting. The extraction mechanism involves the ion-pair formation between the protonized molecule of stobadine and the hydrophobic, negatively charged molecule of dicarbolide of cobalt. The extraction yield of stobadine from 1 mi of serum was 95% in the concentration range from 1 to 6000 ng/ml. The co-extraction of metabolites was less than 5%. The method was applied to the determination of stobadine in serum of dogs and the data obtained were in a good agreement with those obtained by high performance liquid chromatography.