Cyclization of γ-hydroxybutyric acid (GHBA) as a strategy to enhance its signal in gas chromatography analysis

The present study elucidates the reasons behind the low GHBA signal observed in GC analysis and, consequently, supports the recommendation to perform pre-cyclization of this compound prior to analysis. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate that although signal enhancement of GHBA can be achieved through silylation or methylation, the most substantial increase is observed following its cyclization during sample preparation. The proposed in this paper cyclization procedure is both remarkably simple and highly effective, allowing for reliable quantification of this hydroxycarboxylic acid in a variety of matrices, including plasma, urine, wine, beer, and orange juice.