Determination of Nanogram Levels of the Anticoagulant Acenocoumarin in Serum by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

Abstract

A simple, rapid, and sensitive method for the determination of the short-acting coumarin anticoagulant acenocoumarin in human serum is described. This drug is extracted from the acidified biological matrix together with the internal standard 5-methoxypsoralen. Separation and quantitation are performed on a high-performance liquid chromatograph with a reversed-phase column and an ultraviolet detector operating oat 308 nm. Accuracy and precision are good. The lowest limit of detection is 15 µg/L, which means that acenocoumarin concentrations can be measured in serum from the subtherapeutic to the toxic range. This method can also be used for rapid measurement of warfarin serum concentrations.