Analytical Sciences

High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic Determination of Yohimbine in Serum by Chemiluminescence Detection

Ryoko CHIBA * , Mime SHINRIKI, Yoko ISHII and Akira TANAKA

Laboratry of Drug Analysis, Showa College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Machida, Tokyo 194-8543, Japan

An ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography with chemiluminescence detection using tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) [Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ ] was developed for the determination of yohimbine (YOH) in human serum. A sample solution, containing narceine as an internal standard, was treated with a Bond-Elut Certify disposable column, and the purified fraction was separated on a TSKgel ODS-80Ts column. The recovery of YOH at 50 ng/ml was 97.2+-4.4% (mean+-SD, n=5). The detection limit was calculated to be 30 ng/ml of YOH in serum (S/N=3). The method was successfully applied to drug monitoring of the YOH level in the serum of healthy volunteers. (Keywords: Yohimbine, serum, high-performance liquid chromatography, chemiluminescence, ruthenium)

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