Determination of the newer quinolones levofloxacin and moxifloxacin in plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

A simple, accurate, sensitive, and precise reversed-phase (RP) high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method with fluorescence detection allowing the sensitive and specific quantitation of the newer fluoroquinolones levofloxacin and moxifloxacin is described. Moxifloxacin is used as the internal standard for the determination of levofloxacin and vice versa. A single-step liquid-liquid extraction from human plasma is sufficient for both quinolones. The method is linear from 0.1 to 15 μg/mL and 0.2 to 7 μg/mL for levofloxacin and moxifloxacin, respectively, covering the clinically relevant plasma concentration range. The limits of quantitation are 0.05 μg/mL (levofloxacin) and 0.2 μg/mL (moxifloxacin). The method is successfully applied to plasma drug level monitoring in a volunteer receiving single therapeutic doses of levofloxacin or moxifloxacin at two different occasions.