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Quantitative ionspray liquid chromatographic/tandem mass spectrometric determination of reserpine in equine plasma.

A method based on ionspray liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) was developed for the determination of reserpine in equine plasma. A comparison was made of the isolation of reserpine from plasma by liquid-liquid extraction and by solid-phase extraction. A structural analog, rescinnamine, was used as the internal standard. The reconstituted extracts were analyzed by ionspray LC/MS/MS in the selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode. The calibration graph for reserpine extracted from equine plasma obtained using liquid-liquid extraction was linear from 10 to 5000 pg ml-1 and that using solid-phase extraction from 100 to 5000 pg ml-1. The lower level of quantitation (LLQ) using liquid-liquid and solid-phase extraction was 50 and 200 pg ml-1, respectively. The lower level of detection for reserpine by LC/MS/MS was 10 pg ml-1. The intra-assay accuracy did not exceed 13% for liquid-liquid and 12% for solid-phase extraction. The recoveries for the LLQ were 68% for liquid-liquid and 58% for solid-phase extraction.

Animals↗

Quantitative determination of Orlistat (tetrahydrolipostatin, Ro 18-0647) in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ion spray tandem mass spectrometry.

A rapid, sensitive and specific analytical method was developed and validated to quantify tetrahydrolipostatin (Orlistat, Ro 18-0647) in human plasma in order to provide pharmacokinetic data from clinical trials. This method employs a preliminary plasma protein precipitation step followed by a simple, one-step liquid-liquid extraction procedure to isolate Ro 18-0647 and its pentadeuterated internal standard, Ro 18-0647-d5, from the biological matrix. Reconstituted extracts were analyzed by liquid chromatography/ion spray tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) in the selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode. Chromatography was carried out using a 2 mm i.d. x 50 mm Deltabond Phenyl column. The eluent was acetonitrile-2 mM ammonium acetate (90:10). The retention time of the analyte was 1.2 min and chromatographic run times were less than 1.5 min. No interferences from anticoagulants, collection devices or endogenous constituents of the plasma were observed. The assay has a lower limit of quantitation (LLQ) of 0.20 ng ml-1 in plasma and a lower limit of detection (LLD) of 0.10 ng ml-1 plasma, based on 1 ml aliquots. The capability to detect 0.025 ng ml-1 in plasma has also been demonstrated. The calibration graphs were linear from 0.20 to 10 ng ml-1. The assay was initially validated with a linear range of 0.20-1.0 ng ml-1. This range was later extended and validated to an upper level of quantitation of 10 ng ml-1. Intra- and inter-assay precision studies showed a mean variability of less than 10%. The recovery, inter-assay precision and accuracy of the method were within acceptable bioanalytical standards. The assay has been shown to reliably provide automated, unattended sample analysis for approximately 150 samples per day. In an additional series of tests, Ro 18-0467 was shown to be stable under conditions that might be encountered during the analysis of samples from clinical trials. This LC/MS/MS assay procedure for Ro 18-0647 in human plasma has proven to be robust, sensitive, specific, accurate and reproducible. This method has been used to analyze over 5000 study samples.

Calibration↗

Determination of dextromethorphan and dextrorphan in human plasma by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

Rapid, sensitive and selective methods were developed for the determination of dextromethorphan and its major metabolite, dextrorphan, in human plasma using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). Plasma samples spiked with stable-isotope internal standards were prepared for analysis by a liquid-liquid back-extraction procedure. Dextromethorphan and dextrorphan were chromatographed on a short reversed-phase column, using separate isocratic mobile phase conditions optimized to elute each compound in approximately 1.1 min. For both analytes, calibration curves were obtained over four orders of magnitude and the limit of quantitation was 5 pg ml-1 using a 1 ml plasma sample volume. The accuracy across the entire range of spiked DEX and DOR concentrations was, in general, within 10% of the spiked value. The precision was generally better than 6% for replicate sample preparations at levels of 50 pg ml-1 or higher and typically better than 12% at levels below 50 pg ml-1. The method was applied for the evaluation of the pharmacokinetic profiles of dextromethorphan and dextrorphan in a human volunteer following peroral administration of a commercially available cough formulation.

Adult↗

Simultaneous determination of diphenhydramine, its N-oxide metabolite and their deuterium-labeled analogues in ovine plasma and urine using liquid chromatography/electrospray tandem mass spectrometry.

Our studies on drug disposition in chronically instrumented pregnant sheep involve simultaneous administration of the antihistamine diphenhydramine (DPHM), its deuterated analogue ([2H10]DPHM) and their metabolites to the mother or the fetus via various routes. Such studies require sensitive and selective mass spectrometric methods for quantitation of these labeled and unlabeled compounds in order to assess comparative maternal and fetal drug metabolism. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a liquid chromatographic/tandem mass spectrometric (LC/MS/MS) method for the simultaneous quantitation of DPHM, its N-oxide metabolite and their deuterium-labeled analogues in ovine plasma and urine. Samples spiked with the analytes and the internal standard, orphenadrine, were processed using liquid-liquid extraction. The extract was chromatographed on a propylamino LC column and MS/MS detection was performed in the positive ion electrospray mode using multiple reaction monitoring. The linear concentration ranges of the calibration curves for the N-oxides and the parent amines were 0.4-100.0 and 0.2-250.0 ng ml-1, respectively. In validation tests, the assay exhibited acceptable variability (< or = 15% at analyte concentrations below 2.0 ng ml-1 and < 10% at all other concentrations) and bias (< 15% at all concentrations), and the analytes were stable under a variety of sample handling conditions. Using this method, the labeled and unlabeled N-oxide metabolite was identified in fetal plasma after DPHM and [2H10]DPHM administration. This method will be used further to examine the comparative metabolism of diphenhydramine to its N-oxide metabolite in the mother and the fetus.

Animals↗

Determination of L-753,037 in human plasma by liquid chromatography/turbo ionspray tandem mass spectrometry.

A liquid chromatographic/turbo ionspray tandem mass spectrometric (LC/MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the determination of L-753,037, a potent endothelin receptor antagonist currently under development for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, in human plasma. L-753,037 is extracted from 0.5 ml of human plasma using liquid-liquid extraction and analyzed by LC/MS/MS with a turbo ionspray interface. Method validation results showed that this method is very sensitive, reliable, selective and reproducible. L-753,048, an ethoxy analogue of L-753,037, was used as the internal standard. The method has a lower limit of quantitation (LOQ) of 50 pg ml(-1) with a linear calibration range of 0.05-50 ng ml(-1). The intra-day precision and accuracy (n = 5) were measured to be below 10% relative standard deviation (RSD) and between 97.4 and 102.8% of the nominal values, respectively, for all calibration standard concentrations within the calibration curve range. The inter-day precision and accuracy (n = 3 days, 5 replicates per day) were measured to be below 6.5% RSD and between 99.3 and 102.0% of the nominal values, respectively, for all quality control concentrations. The extraction recovery was determined to be approximately 99% on average. The analyte was found to be stable in plasma through three freeze-thaw cycles, for at least 4 h at ambient temperature and for up to 40 days under -20 degrees C freezer storage conditions. The analyte was also shown to be stable for at least 24 h in the reconstitution solution at room temperature and for up to 3 days as a dried extract at 4 degrees C. Additional variations in plasma concentration of the analyte due to the use of different sources of plasma were also evaluated.

Calibration↗

Quantitative determination of SC-68328 in dog plasma using flow injection and tandem mass spectrometry.

A flow injection/tandem mass spectrometric assay was developed to quantitate SC-68328 in dog plasma using its stable isotopic analog [13C4]SC-68328 as an internal standard (IS). Since SC-68328, a manganese-based superoxide dismutase mimetic, is very unstable, very polar and adheres to silica-based high-performance liquid chromatographic columns, the analyte and IS were derivatized to their bis-isothiocyanate forms followed by a liquid-liquid extraction with methylene chloride and analyzed using positive ion electrospray mass spectrometric detection. SC-68328 was quantitated using the peak-height ratio of SC-68328 to its IS using MS/MS in the multiple reaction monitoring mode. The lower limit of quantitation of the assay was 0.25 microg ml(-1) SC-68328 in dog plasma with an inter-day precision of 11.8% and an accuracy of 113% (n = 12). Acceptable precision and accuracy were also obtained for concentrations in the calibration curve range (0.25-10 microg ml(-1) SC-68328 in dog plasma).

Animals↗

Atmospheric pressure ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry coupled with fast liquid chromatography for quantitation and accurate mass measurement of five pharmaceutical drugs in human plasma.

The quantitative determination and accurate mass measurement of five tricyclic amine pharmaceutical drugs (doxepin, desipramine, imipramine, amitriptyline and trimipramine) fortified in human plasma within a per sample run time of 18 s was accomplished by atmospheric pressure ionization (API) time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry using a turboIonspray liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) interface coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The relatively short HPLC separation (18 s) was achieved using a short C18 column (15 x 2.1 mm i.d.) with a high aqueous mobile phase maintained at a flow-rate of 1.4 ml min(-1). An acquisition speed of 0.2 s per spectrum accommodates these fast separation conditions. This method employs a one-step liquid-liquid extraction procedure to isolate the five tricyclic amines from biological matrix components The overall extraction recovery was 75% for desipramine and >90% for the other four tricyclic amines. The lower level of quantitation was 1-2 ng ml(-1) for each compound. The calibration curve was linear from 2 to 100 ng ml(-1) for desipramine and from 1 to 50 ng ml(-1) for the other four tricyclic amines. A deuterated internal standard, imipramine-d3, was used for all five tricyclic amines. Acceptable intra- and inter-assay precision (1.0-17.7%) and accuracy (0.2-14.5%) were obtained. The linear dynamic range was extended to 200 based on a software upgrade for correcting ion current detection saturation. The accurate masses of the five tricyclic amines were determined by on-line LC/TOFMS analyses of biological extracts using two-point internal mass calibration. This was done by infusing a reference standard, Jeffamine D230, post-column into the HPLC effluent. All results showed a mass error not greater than 9 ppm for all the target compounds. These results were obtained from both synthetic mixtures when as little as 100 pg were injected or extracts of spiked human plasma samples with analytical concentration as low as 5 ng ml(-1). The factors influencing accurate mass measurements are discussed.

Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic↗

Quantitative determination of cabergoline in human plasma using liquid chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry.

A liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) method using electrospray ionization (ESI) is described for the quantitative determination of cabergoline (N-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]-N-(ethylamino)-carbonyl-6-(2-propenyl)- ergoline-8 beta-carboxamide) in human plasma. The method consists of liquid-liquid extraction after addition of deuterated internal standard, and reverse-phase liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization combined with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Using selected reaction monitoring, the method provides a quantitation limit of 1.86 pg/mL. Calibration curves acquired on five different days showed good linearity (r > 0.99) in the range 1.86-124 pg/mL and reproducibility of the slope (% relative standard deviation, RSD = 10.0). The intra-day precision, determined by assaying plasma containing four different concentrations of cabergoline processed in replicate, was found to range from 2.4 to 17.0% (RSD). The inter-day precision, evaluated for the same concentrations, ranged from 7.9 to 10.7% (RSD). The accuracy of the method, expressed as the percent ratio between found to added amount, was 99.1 +/- 10.2% (RSD = 10.3%, n = 78).

Cabergoline↗

Liquid-liquid extraction procedure for trace determination of cyclophosphamide in human urine by high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

A sensitive, specific and accurate high performance liquid chromatography/ionspray-tandem mass spectrometry procedure (HPLC/MS/MS) has been developed to quantify cyclophosphamide in human urine from hospital personnel involved in drug preparation and administration of antineoplastic alkylating agents. This methodology, which includes liquid-liquid extraction with ethylacetate, requires no derivatization procedures, preventing cyclophosphamide (CP) from possible thermal and chemical decomposition reactions. We detected the excretion of this unmetabolized alkylating drug in 50% of all the study participants. The amount of CP ranged from 0.1 ng microL-1 to 1.9 ng microL-1 urine. This methodology was validated by the use of ifosfamide as internal standard. The assay was linear over the range 0 to 3.2 ng microL-1 urine, with a lower limit of quantification of 0.2 microL-1. The limit of detection was assessed at 0.05 ng microL-1 urine. This method is characterized by a coefficient of variation < 10%. Standard calibration curves, obtained on three different days, had correlation coefficients always greater than 0.998. The intra and interday precision were within 11%, and accuracy was in the range 99-103%. The mean extracted recovery assessed at three different concentrations (0.5, 0.8, 3.2 ng microL-1) was always more than 85%. The extraction efficiency of cyclophosphamide from urine samples was also studied at six different pH values (pH 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10). The maximum extraction efficiency was obtained when the pH of urine solutions was adjusted to 7.0

Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating↗

Application of high performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry in the environmental and biological monitoring of health care personnel occupationally exposed to cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide.

Twenty four workers (10 involved in the preparation and 14 in administration) exposed to cyclophosphamide (CP) and ifosfamide (IF) in two Italian hospitals were monitored. The extent of exposure was assessed by the analysis of air samples, wipe samples, pads and gloves. Urinary excretion at the beginning and at the end of the work shift was also measured by liquid-liquid extraction and analysis by high performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. Three out of 24 air samples were positive for CP or IF. In wipe samples, CP concentrations ranging from < 0.001 to 82.4 micrograms/dm2 in Hospital A (32 samples) and from 0.2 to 383.3 micrograms/dm2 in Hospital B (17 samples), were found. IF concentrations varied from < 0.001 to 90.9 micrograms/dm2 in Hospital A and from 0.01 to 141.5 micrograms/dm2 in Hospital B. Pads (from 11 to 13 for each operator) were contaminated with CP and IF especially on arms, legs and chest. The use of a plastic-backed liner on the working tray in the laminar flow hoods was demonstrated to compromise the containment properties of the hood. Urine samples were positive for CP in 50% of the workers (range: 0.1-2.1 micrograms/L), whereas IF was detected in 2 subjects only (range: 0.1-0.8 microgram/L). The results of this investigation demonstrate that vertical laminar airflow hoods, when incorrectly used, might represent a source of contamination and that higher risk may depend on lack of educational programmes and observance of preventive guidelines.

Air↗

The effects of sample preparation methods on the variability of the electrospray ionization response for model drug compounds.

A post-column infusion system was developed in order to analyze suppression of electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem mass spectrometry response in the presence of endogenous plasma interferences. By enabling direct detection of these interfering components, this experimental system was used to analyze the ability of several common extraction procedures to remove endogenous plasma components that cause changes in the ESI response of model drug substances. Methyl-t-butyl ether (MTBE) liquid-liquid, Oasis and Empore solid-phase, and acetonitrile (ACN) protein precipitation sample preparation methods were tested using the post-column infusion system. In all cases, ACN protein precipitation samples showed the greatest amount of ESI response suppression while liquid-liquid extracts demonstrated the least. In addition, the three test compounds, phenacetin, caffeine, and a representative Merck compound, demonstrated that ESI response suppression is compound dependent. Suppression was greatest with caffeine, the most polar analyte, and the smallest for the Merck compound, the least polar analyte. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Journal Article↗

A simple liquid-liquid extraction with hexane for low-picogram determination of drugs and their metabolites in plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography with positive ion electrospray tandem mass spectrometry.

Four sensitive, specific and accurate methods, based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with positive ion electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) coupled with liquid-Liquid extraction (LLE), have been developed and validated for the low-picogram determination of two drug candidates and a metabolite (compounds I-III) in human, monkey and rat plasma. In the LLE procedure, hexane or a mixture of hexane and methyl t-butyl ether was used to isolate these compounds from plasma of the different species after basification of each biological sample with sodium carbonate. The reconstituted extracts were then injected into a positive ion electrospray LC/MS/MS system for the quantitative analysis. The lower limit of quantitation of the methods ranged from 20 to 200 pg/mL. The use of hexane for the LLE proved to be simple, rapid and reproducible, and provided very clean extracts with little interference. The inter- and intra-day precision for the four methods was within 9%, and the accuracy was in the range 94-107%. The effect of pH on the isomerization of I (E-isomer) to its Z-isomer (II) showed that the rate of isomerization increased with decrease in pH and that there was no isomerization at pH >/=6.

Animals↗

Rapid approach to the quantitative determination of topiramate (2, 3:4,5-bis-O-(1-methylethylidene)-beta-D-fructopyranose sulfamate) in human plasma by liquid-liquid extraction and flow-injection negative-ion electrospray mass spectrometry.

Topiramate, a sulfamate-substituted monosaccharide (2,3:4, 5-bis-O-(1-methylethylidene)-beta-D-fructopyranose sulfamate), is a new antiepileptic drug, which has been approved for adjunctive therapy in adult patients with partial-onset seizures. Liquid-liquid extraction followed by flow-injection negative-ion electrospray mass spectrometry was evaluated as a means for the quantitative analysis of Topiramate in human plasma. Prednisone (1,4-pregnadiene-17-alpha, 21-diol-3,11,20-trione [15 microg/mL]) was used as the internal standard because its solubility and molecular weight are similar to those of Topiramate. Calibration curves for Topiramate were linear over a range of 1 to 30 microg/mL plasma (signal-to-noise ratio >4) and were highly reliable (r(2) = 0.994). This approach offers several advantages: (i) the extraction of Topiramate from human plasma using chloroform is simple and reproducible; (ii) the quantitative determination of Topiramate, in the presence of an internal standard, by flow-injection negative-ion electrospray mass spectrometry with selected-ion recording, is rapid and accurate and does not require chromatographic separation; (iii) the assay possesses adequate sensitivity (2-25 microg/mL) for the quantitative analysis of Topiramate in plasma from patients.

Anticonvulsants↗

Direct injection versus liquid-liquid extraction for plasma sample analysis by high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry.

Direct injection versus liquid-liquid extraction for post-dose human plasma sample analysis by high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) have been studied using a drug candidate compound. For the direct-injection method, an Oasis(R) HLB column (1 x 50 mm, 30 micrometer) was used as the on-line extraction column and a conventional Waters symmetry C18 column (3.9 x 50 mm, 5 micrometer) was used as the analytical column. Each plasma sample (100 microL) was mixed with 100 microL of a working solution of the internal standard in aqueous 0.05 M ammonium acetate (pH 6.9), and portions (10 microL) of these samples were then injected into the LC/MS/MS system. For the liquid-liquid extraction method, a YMC Basic C18 column (2.0 x 50 mm, 5 micrometer) was used as the analytical column. Each sample (0.5 mL) was extracted with methyl tert-butyl ether and the extract was reconstituted and injected into the LC/MS/MS system. The total analysis time for both methods was 2.0 min per sample. The accuracy, inter-day precision and intra-day precision obtained from the quality control samples were within 8% for both methods. The analysis results of post-dose human plasma samples showed that the deviations of 91% of the concentrations obtained using the direct-injection method were within +/-20% from the concentrations obtained using the liquid-liquid extraction method, and the overall average percentage deviation was -1.5%. The results showed that the two methods were equivalent in terms of total chromatographic run time, accuracy and precision. However, for a batch of 100 samples, the sample preparation time for the direct-injection method was only about 25% of the time required for liquid-liquid extraction. This decrease in sample preparation time resulted in the doubling of the overall sample analysis throughput.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

Liquid-liquid extraction using 96-well plate format in conjunction with liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry for quantitative determination of methylphenidate (Ritalin) in human plasma.

Methylphenidate (MPH; Ritalin: methyl-alpha-phenyl-2-piperidinacetate hydrochloride) is utilized for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy. Recently, we described a rapid enantioselective liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method for the determination of the enantiomers of MPH (Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. 1999; 13: 2054). A lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of 87 pg/mL was attained for the human plasma assay. The present paper describes a high-throughput sample preparation procedure in conjunction with racemic LC/MS/MS analysis for MPH with a LLOQ of 50 pg/mL. A semi-automated robotics method using liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) in a 96-well plate format was developed and validated. The correlation coefficients were > or =0.998 for MPH indicating good fits of the regression models over the range of the calibration curve. The accuracy and precision of the semi-automated approach were comparable to those obtained using the manual sample preparation technique reported previously (vide supra). The current method can easily be adapted to the enantioselective LC/MS/MS assay of MPH. The assay was simple, fast, specific, and exhibited excellent ruggedness.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗

Rapid and sensitive determination of paclitaxel (Taxol(R)) in environmental samples by high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

A new, rapid and sensitive method for the quantitative determination of paclitaxel (Taxol(R)) in environmental samples is developed and validated. This highly sensitive and specific method was successfully applied to an environmental monitoring study for identifying occupational exposure situations to anticancer drugs. After addition of an internal standard, 2'-methylpaclitaxel, aqueous extraction of wipe samples or air filters followed by a single-step liquid-liquid extraction with ethyl acetate was performed. Extraction efficiency averaged 90%. The method is based on analysis by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry in selected reaction monitoring mode of environmental samples from the preparation and administration of cytostatic agents. The assay is linear (r = 0.998) in the range 2-64 ng on filters (air samples), and 20-320 ng on wipe samples. The accuracy of the assay is always </=20% for both matrices, and the intra- and interday assay variability of paclitaxel ranged from 7 to 19% and 10 to 14%, respectively. The lower limit of quantification is assessed at 2 ng on filter and 10 ng on wipe samples. Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Journal Article↗

Expulsion of proteins from water-in-oil microemulsions by treatment with cosurfactant

A quick and simple method has been developed for the recovery of proteins from water-in-oil microemulsions (w/o-MEs), which is needed to further the use of liquid-liquid extraction in bioseparations. By adding a small portion (0.1 v/v or less) of cosurfactant (e.g., 1-alkanol) to w/o-ME solution, proteins were readily expelled, sometimes as solids, while most or all of the surfactant (Aerosol OT) remained in solution. The release of proteins increased with the further addition of cosurfactant and was greater when the molar ratio of protein to w/o-ME or fractional occupancy (f) was high. However, protein expulsion was also significant when f was small. The addition of cosurfactant released ribonuclease, lysozyme, alpha-chymotrypsin, pepsin, bovine serum albumin (BSA), and catalase from w/o-ME solution, but the expulsion was greater for BSA relative to chymotrypsin and lysozyme. Protein expulsion also increased with cosurfactant chain length for the homologous series of 1-alkanols starting at 1-butanol; however, water was also coexpelled in significant amounts. An exception to the latter rule was 1-butanol, which readily promoted the release of protein, but not encapsulated water. The addition of 1-butanol to a w/o-ME solution containing alpha-chymotrypsin and BSA selectively released the former protein, with chymotryptic activity occurring in the recovered protein. Possible mechanisms for the cosurfactant-mediated release of protein are discussed. Copyright 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Journal Article↗

Reactive extraction of penicillin G in hollow-fiber and hollow-fiber fabric modules.

Penicillin G (Pen G) can be rapidly extracted in hollow-fiber liquid-liquid contactors using N-lauryl-N-trialkylmethylamine (Amberlite LA-2) as the extractant. n-Butylacetate is much better than decanol as a diluent for such an extraction, although decanol can give a partition coefficient four times larger. The overall mass transfer coefficient found is a function of aqueous flow on the lumen side of the fiber, and is less dependent on shell-side flow. In backextraction, the overall mass transfer coefficient determined is only one tenth that of the forward extraction, primarily because the hydrophobic hollow fibers used have a high mass transfer resistance under these conditions. The mass transfer experiments show that hollow-fiber extraction of Pen G is competitive with centrifugal extraction. The prospects for extraction of other fermentation products with hollow fibers can be estimated based on the present study.

Amines↗