Rapid structural analysis of the in vitro and in vivo metabolism of SK&F 95448 by the combined use of thermospray liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

The thermospray liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) interface has had a major impact on the direct analysis of the metabolic fate of xenobiotics in complex biological media. This paper outlines the rapidity and power of the LC/MS approach, and shows how detailed structural information can be obtained without recourse to individual compound isolation. This provides a great saving in time and effort. The additional specificity of liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry is highlighted in identifying the sites of metabolic transformation. The ability to handle biological samples with little or no clean‐up using wide high‐performance liquid chromatographic gradients is a key feature of the success of this methodology.