Fluorimetric determination of oxamniquine in biological fluids

A highly sensitive and specific fluorimetric method was developed for the determination of oxamniquine in biological fluids (urine and plasma). The proposed method is based on the reduction of oxamniquine using zinc/calcium chloride to obtain its nitroso derivative. The latter is then allowed to react with 2-cyanoacetamide to get a highly fluorescent product. The different experimental parameters affecting the intensity of the fluorescence were carefully studied and incorporated into the procedure. Under the described conditions, the method is applicable over the concentration range of 0.08-0.88 microgram/ml with a minimum detectability (S/N = 2) of 8 ng/ml. The percentage recoveries from spiked urine and plasma were 99.75 +/- 1.58 and 97.46 +/- 0.44%, respectively.