{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,3]],"date-time":"2026-10-03T16:30:54Z","timestamp":1791045054024,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"13","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,25]],"date-time":"2023-06-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1687651200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100008431","name":"Junta de Castilla y Le\u00f3n","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["SA111P20"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["SA111P20"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100008431","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Molecules"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Contraceptive tablets typically contain a combination of two synthetic versions of an estrogen and a progestogen, which work together to inhibit the ovulation process. An accurate and precise quantification of these components is essential for contraceptive producers. In this study, we have developed the first gas chromatography\u2013mass spectrometry (GC\u2013MS) method for the simultaneous quantification of 17\u03b1-ethinyl estradiol (EE) and drospirenone (DP) in contraceptive formulations. Under the final working conditions, analytes were extracted from the solid by ultrasound-assisted extraction (15 min) in methanol. The resulting suspension was diluted in ethyl acetate, subjected to centrifugation and, finally, the supernatant was directly injected into the GC\u2013MS system. No derivatization reagents were utilized. To correct for instrumental variations, calibration was performed using the internal standard method, with cholesterol as the internal standard. A good linearity was achieved throughout the calibration range for both EE (3\u201312 \u00b5g mL\u22121) and DP (300\u20131200 \u00b5g mL\u22121), with R2 values exceeding 0.99. Trueness, assessed in terms of percentages of recovery, was also found to be satisfactory for both analytes, with recovery rates of 106 \u00b1 8% for EE and 93 \u00b1 9% for DP. Furthermore, intra-day and inter-day precision studies yielded relative standard deviation values below 6% for both analytes. In terms of sensitivity, the instrumental limits of detection were 0.25 \u00b5g mL\u22121 for EE and 6.6 \u00b5g mL\u22121 for DP, and the instrumental limits of quantification 0.82 \u00b5g mL\u22121 for EE and 22 \u00b5g mL\u22121 for DP. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of contraceptive tablets from three different pharmaceutical companies. No differences were observed between the measured and the declared amount of active principle per tablet, demonstrating the applicability of the procedure. In addition, a stability study conducted on both the standards and sample extracts demonstrated that they can be stored at room temperature for a minimum period of seven days.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules28134978","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,26]],"date-time":"2023-06-26T05:11:54Z","timestamp":1687756314000},"page":"4978","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction, Followed by Gas Chromatography\u2013Mass Spectrometry for the Simultaneous Quantification of Ethinyl Estradiol and Drospirenone in Contraceptive Formulations"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"28","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2887-9016","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Javier","family":"Pe\u00f1a","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Bromatology, Faculty of Chemical Sciences, 37008 Salamanca, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2846-8380","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Iria","family":"Gonz\u00e1lez-Mari\u00f1o","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Bromatology, Faculty of Chemical Sciences, 37008 Salamanca, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1822-3424","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jos\u00e9 L. P\u00e9rez","family":"Pav\u00f3n","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Bromatology, Faculty of Chemical Sciences, 37008 Salamanca, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"487","DOI":"10.2147\/TCRM.S6864","article-title":"Use of ethinylestradiol\/drospirenone combination in patients with the polycystic ovary syndrome","volume":"4","author":"Mathur","year":"2008","journal-title":"Clin. Risk Manag."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"16","DOI":"10.1080\/13625180008500376","article-title":"Inhibition of ovulation by a novel progestogen (drospirenone) alone or in combination with ethinylestradiol","volume":"5","author":"Rosenbaum","year":"2000","journal-title":"Eur. J. Contracept. Reprod. 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