Determination by UPLC/MS-MS of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in Plasma of Healthy Volunteers before and after Oral Intake of Food Supplements Containing CoQ10

To evaluate CoQ10 concentration a UPLC/MS-MS method for its analysis in plasma samples was developed. Before validation, the choice of the anticoagulant, of the Internal Standard (CoQ9; IS) and the stability of CoQ10 in plasma were evaluated. These determinations were necessary to assess the effect of the oral intake of CoQ10 in nine healthy volunteers after 10 days of treatment with a food supplement containing it. The basal levels of CoQ10 were determined and the analyses were repeated after four days to take into account the variability of endogenous substances. After oral intake, the increase in plasma concentration of CoQ10 resulted statistically significant (P<0.05), indicating that the assumption of food supplements containing this ubiquinone could be of help to increase its concentration, thus exploiting the its beneficial properties.