Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis of riboflavin in beagle dog plasma for pharmacokinetic studies

Riboflavin is a water-soluble vitamin, which serves as a precursor to flavin mononucleotide and flavin adenine dinucleotide. This study aimed to develop a simple and rapid liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis for the quantification of riboflavin in the Beagle dog plasma. This method utilized simple protein precipitation with acetonitrile and¹³C₄,¹⁵N₂-riboflavin was used as an internal standard (IS). For chromatographic separation, a hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) column was used with gradient elution. The mobile phase consisted of 0.1% (v/v) aqueous formic acid with 10 mM ammonium formate and acetonitrile with 0.1% (v/v) formic acid. Since riboflavin is an endogenous compound, 4% bovine serum albumin in phosphate buffered saline was used as a surrogate matrix to prepare the calibration curve. The quantification limit for riboflavin in the Beagle dog plasma was 5 ng/mL. The method was fully validated for its specificity, sensitivity, accuracy and precision, recovery, and stability according to the US FDA guidance. The developed LC-MS/MS method may be useful for the in vivo pharmacokinetic studies of riboflavin.