Use of Total Fluorescence Spectroscopy for the Highly Sensitive Simultaneous Determination of Fluoroquinolones in Rabbit Plasma

TLDR: In this paper, a method for the quantification of a mixture of fluorescent antibiotics with broad, highly overlapped excitation and emission spectra is proposed, which enables the simultaneous determination of sarafloxacin, flumequine and ofloxacsin by using the fluorescence excitation-emission matrix and performing two different scans.

Abstract: A method for the quantification of a mixture of fluorescent antibiotics with broad, highly overlapped excitation and emission spectra is proposed. The method enables the simultaneous determination of sarafloxacin, flumequine and ofloxacin by using the fluorescence excitation-emission matrix and performing two different scans, namely, a linear variable angle synchronous fluorimetry scan at 15.6° and an emission scan at λexc of 320 nm. This ensures complete resolution of the mixture without the need for a separation technique. Various factors influencing the fluorescence intensity were assessed in order to maximize the sensitivity and obtain an adequate selectivity. The method was successfully used to determine the analytes in pharmaceuticals and rabbit plasma. The results obtained compared favorably with those provided by HPLC.