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. 2012 May 11;18(5):323–340. doi: 10.1089/ten.teb.2011.0737

Table 1.

Methods for Bisphosphonates Quantification

Bisphosphonates Technique Detection LOD LOQ Sample References
Alendronate HPLC-RP Fluorimetric - - urine 98
  HPLC-RP Electrochemical 0.2 ng/mL 1 ng/mL urine 99
  HPLC-RP UV - - pharmaceuticals 100
  HPLC-RP Fluorimetric - 1 ng/mL human plasma 101
  HPLC-RP Fluorimetric - 3.5 ng/mL urine 102
  HPLC-RP/MS Mass spectrometry 4.86 μg/mL 6.667 ng/mL urine 103
  HPLC-RP/MS2 Mass spectrometry 0.05 ng/mL - urine 104
  ICP ELSD 16 μg/mL - - 105
  ICP UV - 14 μg/mL pharmaceuticals 106
  ICP Fluorimetric - 0.6 ng/mL urine 106
  IC Conductivity - 0.005 mg/mL pharmaceuticals 107
  IC Refractive index 0.4 μg/mL - pharmaceuticals 108
  CZE Conductivity 3.1 μM 9.3 μM urine 109
  CZE Indirect UV 50 μg/mL - standard 110
Pamidronate HPLC-RP Fluorimetric 0.1 μg/ml - urine 111
  HPLC-RP Fluorimetric 0.5 μg/mL - blood  
  HPLC-RP Fluorimetric - 0.8 μmol/L plasma 112
  HPLC-RP Fluorimetric - 0.7 μmol/L urine  
  HPLC-RP Fluorimetric 11.6 ng/mL 233 ng/mL urine 113
  ICP Fluorimetric 1 ng/mL 3 ng/mL urine 114
  ICP UV 0.1 μg/mL 0.1 μg/mL pharmeceuticals 115
  ICP Fluorimetric - - urine 116
  ICP ELSD 18 μg/mL - - 105
  ICP Fluorimetric 10 ng/mL 20 ng/mL serum 117
  IC Conductivity 25 μg/mL - pharmaceuticals 118
  CZE Conductivity 13.4 μM 39.3 μM urine 109
  GC Flame photometric 100 ng/mL - biological fluids 119
Ibandronate ICP ELSD 176 μg/mL - - 120
Zoledronate ICP ELSD 17 μg/mL - - 105
  ICP UV 8 μg/mL - pharmaceuticals 121
Etidronate ICP ELSD 15 μg/mL - - 105
Clodronate ICP ELSD 37,5 μg/mL - - 122
  CZE indirect UV 0.4 mg/ml - liposomal formulations 123
  CZE indirect UV 30 μg/mL - standard 110
  GC nitrogen-phosphorus detector - 0.3 μg/mL plasma 124
      - 0.5 μg/mL urine  
Risedronate IPC UV 30 ng/mL 100 ng/mL pharmaceuticals 125
  IPC UV 0.48 μg/mL 1.61 μg/mL pharmaceuticals 126
  IPC UV 7 ng/mL 10 ng/mL rat plasma 127
  IPC UV - 7.5 ng/mL human urine 128

HPLC, high-performance liquid chromatography; LOD, limit of detection; LOQ, limit of quantification; RP, reverse phase; ICP, inductively coupled plasma; ELSD, evaporative light-scattering detector; CZE, capillary zone electrophoresis; GC, gas chromatography; PAM, photoacoustic microscopy; PCL, poly(ε-caprolactone).