Determination of caffeine, paraxanthine, theophylline and theobromine in premature infants by HILIC-MS/MS

Wen S, Ma H, Chen X, et al. | Bioanalysis, 14(23), 1497 - 1508 (2023) Keywords: • caffeine • HILIC-MS/MS • premature infants Aim: Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, used to treat apnea of prematurity. A hydrophilic interaction chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC-MS/MS) approach was developed to detect caffeine, paraxanthine, theophylline and theobromine in premature infants. Method: Protein precipitation of plasma samples (10 μl) was carried out by treating with acetonitrile containing caffeine-13C3. The separation was carried out on an ACQUITY HPLC® BEH HILIC column. Caffeine and its metabolites were quantified by multiple reaction monitoring modes with positive electrospray...