Colorimetric determination of sympathomimetic amines methyldopa and noradrenaline

The chromogenic reagent p-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde (PDAC) is introduced for the determination of the sympathomimetic amines methyldopa and noradrenaline. The method is based on measurement of the orange color developed when the alkaline solution of methyldopa and noradrenaline is allowed to react with PDAC at pH 5.0. The color developed obeys Beer's law in the concentration range 0.1-1.5 mL of 2 X 10(-3)M solution of noradrenaline and methyldopa. The results are compared with those obtained with another chromogenic reagent, p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde (PDAB). Determinations on dosage forms of the drugs, using PDAC and PDAB reagents, agreed well with results of determinations by official pharmacopoeial methods.