Analytical Sciences


Abstract − Analytical Sciences, 23(4), 485 (2007).

Determination of Catecholamines and Indoleamines in Human Urine Based on Intramolecular Excimer-forming Derivatization and Fluorescence Detection
Hideyuki YOSHIDA, Fumito KIDO, Makoto YOSHITAKE, Kenichiro TODOROKI, Hitoshi NOHTA, and Masatoshi YAMAGUCHI
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, 8-19-1 Nanakuma, Johnan, Fukuoka 814-0180, Japan
A liquid chromatographic (LC) determination of catecholamines and indoleamines is described. This is based on intramolecular excimer-forming fluorescence derivatization with 4-(1-pyrene)butanoyl chloride, followed by reversed-phase LC. The analytes, containing an amino moiety and phenolic hydroxyl moieties in a molecule, were converted to the corresponding polypyrene-labeled derivatives by one-step derivatization. They afforded intramolecular excimer fluorescence, which can clearly be discriminated from the normal fluorescence emitted from reagent blanks. The detection limits (S/N = 3) for catecholamines and indoleamines were femto-mole levels per 20-µL injection. Furthermore, this method was applied to a urine assay.