Determination of reduced biopterins by high pressure liquid chromatography and subsequent electrochemical detection

L-erythro-Tetrahydrobiopterin plays an important role as the cofactor of various hydroxylation reactions. We report here the separation of biopterin and its reduced forms by reversed-phase high pressure liquid chromatography. Subsequent electrochemical detection yields a sensitivity at the picomole level for dihydrobiopterin and tetrahydrobiopterin.