Magnetic solid-phase extraction of high molecular weight peptides using stearic acid–functionalized magnetic hydroxyapatite nanocomposite: determination of some hypothalamic agents in biological samples

Abstract

Therapeutic peptides have an important effect on physiological function and human health, so it is momentous to quantify and detect low levels of these biomolecules in biological samples for treatment and diagnostic purposes. In the present study, an efficient magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) method was developed based on stearic acid–functionalized magnetic hydroxyapatite nanocomposite (MHAP/SA) as a novel and cost-effective adsorbent for extraction of five hypothalamic-related peptides (goserelin, octreotide, triptorelin, somatostatin, and cetrorelix) from biological samples. To characterize the morphology and physicochemical properties of MHAP/SA, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), field emission scanning microscopy (FE-SEM), CHNS elemental analysis, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) were applied. Under optimum conditions, the proposed method (MSPE–HPLC–UV) represented favorable linearity with R² ≥ 0.9987, suitable intra- and inter-day precisions (RSD ≤ 6.9% and RSD ≤ 8.1%, respectively, n = 3), and limits of detection and quantification in the range of 0.75–1.12 ng mL⁻¹ and 2.50–3.75 ng mL⁻¹, respectively. Eventually, the proposed method was used for the extraction and quantification of target therapeutic peptides in plasma and urine samples, and satisfactory relative recoveries were achieved in the range of 90.6–110.3%. Graphical abstract