[Extraction of serotonin, bufotenin, 5-methoxytryptamine and 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine and their fluorometric determination with o-phthaldialdehyde]

For the investigated indolamines, the recovery following extraction with n-butanol and acetic acid ethyl ester from alkaline solution amounted to 80-90%. Using benzene only the two 5-methoxyindolamines were transferred from the alkaline medium into the organic phase. The reaction of the o-phthaldialdehyde with substituted indolamines was optimized in regard to higher fluorimetric detection sensitivity. The lower limit of determination was 2.0 ng for 5HT and 5OHDMT, and 1.0 ng for 5MeOT and 5MeODMT.