Solid phase microextraction (SPME) of sample preparation during of a complex biological matrix in biotransformation studies

Within the scope of the investigation of drug metabolism in keratinocytes solid phase microextraction (SPME) was investigated as a suitable method for sample preparation. The application of SPME is based on the fact, that a amount of analyte is absorbed by the polymer fiber at equilibrium, and the fiber is localized on a tip of a GC-syringe. The stable nitroxyl radical TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramthylpiperidine-1-oxyl) and its apolar metabolite 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine were analyzed by SPME and subsequent GC using thymol as internal standard. By means of the headspace-technique and an apolar fiber the recovery rate of TEMPO and the metabolite was nearly 100% and the precision was high. However, the results of the direct SPME were unsatisfactory. In comparison with conventional liquid/liquid extraction and solid phase extraction SPE the SPME proved the best results with regard to recovery rate and precision. Furthermore, the main advantages of SPME are the renunciation of organic solvents, the saving of time, the possibility to reuse the fiber about 100-150 times and the option for a complete automatisation of the extraction procedure.