Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry analysis of nitazoxanide and its major metabolites in goat

A rapid, sensitive and specific liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS–MS) method has been developed for the identification of nitazoxanide metabolites in goat plasma and urine. The purified samples was separated using an XTerra MS C8 column with the mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile and 10-mM ammonium acetate buffer (pH 2.5) followed a linear gradient elution, and detected by MS–MS. Identification and structural elucidation of the metabolites were performed by comparing their retention-times, full scan, product ion scan, precursor ion scan and neutral loss scan MS–MS spectra with those of the parent drug or other available standard. Four metabolites (tizoxanide, tizoxanide glucuronide, tizoxanide sulfate and hydroxylated tizoxanide sulfate) were found and identified in goat after single oral administration of 200 mg/kg dose of nitazoxanide. In addition, the possible metabolic pathway was proposed for the first time. The results proved that the established method was simple, reliable and sensitive, revealing that it could be used to rapid screen and identify the structures of active metabolites responsible for pharmacological effects of nitazoxanide and to better understand its in vivo metabolism.