Quantitative determination of L-DOPA in tablets by high performance thin layer chromatography

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Pharmaceutical Analysis

Background:

• Levodopa (L-DOPA) is a crucial drug for Parkinson's disease treatment.
• Accurate quantification of L-DOPA in pharmaceutical formulations is essential for patient safety and therapeutic efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a densitometric high-performance thin-layer chromatographic (HPTLC) method for the quantitative determination of L-DOPA in tablet dosage forms.

Main Methods:

• HPTLC separation using silica gel F254 plates and a specific mobile phase composition.
• Densitometric quantification at 497 nm.
• Validation of linearity, precision, accuracy, and limits of detection and quantification.

Main Results:

• The method demonstrated excellent linearity (r=0.999) within the 100-500 ng/µL range.
• High precision with intra-assay variation <0.65% and inter-assay variation <2.04%.
• Accurate quantification with recovery rates from 100.40% to 101.09% and low CV (<1.40%).

Conclusions:

• The developed HPTLC method is fast, specific, precise, and accurate for L-DOPA quantification in tablets.
• This method provides a reliable alternative to HPLC for routine pharmaceutical analysis.
• Successful application in real pharmaceutical samples validates its practical utility.