Spectrophotometric determination of some catecholamine drugs using metaperiodate

A rapid spectrophotometric procedure for the determination of isoprenaline salts, levodopa, dopamine hydrochloride, and dobutamine hydrochloride, either in the drug substances or in pharmaceutical formulations, is described. The method is based on the development of orange, red, or violet products with sodium metaperiodate in an aqueous alcoholic medium. The reaction is suggested to proceed via oxidative cyclization of the catecholamine to form an aminochrome. The wavelengths of maximum absorption range from 465 to 520 nm. The structure of the cyclization product was confirmed by ultraviolet, infrared, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and microanalysis data.