Analysis of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor Stabilizers by a Modified QuEChERS Extraction for Antidoping Analysis

An analytical method was developed for hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) stabilizers based on QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) sample preparation and liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry analysis. HIF stabilizers potentially enhance the performance of athletes, and hence, they have been prohibited. However, the analysis of urinary HIF stabilizers is not easy owing to their unique structure and characteristics. Hence, we developed the QuEChERS preparation technique for a complementary method and optimized the pH, volume of extraction solvent, and number of extractions. We found that double extraction with 1% of formic acid in acetonitrile provided the highest recovery of HIF stabilizers. Moreover, the composition of the mobile phase was also optimized for better separation of molidustat and IOX4. The developed method was validated in terms of its precision, detection limit, matrix effect, and recovery for ISO accreditation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the application of the QuEChERS method, which is suitable as a complementary analytical method, in antidoping.