Bioavailability studies of oral dosage forms containing levodopa and carbidopa using column-switching chromatography followed by electrochemical detectionPresented at SAC 99, Dublin, Ireland, July 25–30, 1999.

Abstract

A reliable multi-dimensional column chromatographic method employing amperometric detection using a carbon fibre microelectrode procedure was used for monitoring the plasma profiles and to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of levodopa (L-dopa) and carbidopa (C-dopa), after ingestion of oral formulations containing these drugs. The peak currents obtained for the different analytes were directly proportional to the analyte over the concentration range 0.02–4 μg ml⁻¹. Using this method, the minimum detectable concentration was estimated to be 5 and 8 ng ml⁻¹ for L-dopa and C-dopa, respectively. Recovery studies ranged from 93.83 to 89.76%, with a relative standard deviation of less than 7%. The study was carried out in two separate weeks on five healthy non-patient fasted male/female volunteers in the age range 20–37 years and weighing between 60 kg and 78 kg. The pharmacokinetic profile of two controlled-release products containing both L-dopa and C-dopa (Sinemet CR3 and CR4) was compared on the one hand and Sinemet conventional tablets on the other. The pharmacokinetic parameters, peak concentration (C_max), the time taken to obtain this level (T_max), elimination half-time T_1/2, elimination rate constant (K_el), plasma level ratio, fluctuation index (FI) and the area under the time–concentration curve (AUC_0–8), were investigated for each individual formulation. A comparison of the uptake of L-dopa from the conventional formulation showed that L-dopa entered the plasma and achieved peak levels higher than that of the controlled release formulations. However, it showed a much higher fluctuation index and the plasma concentrations were more stable with the controlled release formulations. The data also indicated a very low accumulation of both levodopa and carbidopa following repeated administration of the drugs, which was consistent with their relatively short half-lives (less than 2 h). In contrast, the half-life for the metabolite 3-orthomethyl dopa (3-OMD) is in the order of 13 h. As a result, there was an extensive accumulation of 3-OMD and its levels were significantly higher than those of levodopa or carbidopa upon repeated administration. Urine recoveries of the three analytes over one 8 h dosing interval showed that the majority of the excreted levodopa and carbidopa was recovered during the first 4 h, and there is proportionally greater excretion of the carbidopa dose than the levodopa dose.