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Determination of the enantiomeric purity of norepinephrine in pharmaceutical preparations

Małgorzata Lisowska Kuźmicz ,  Anna Jończyk ,  Małgorzata Kantor-Boruta ,  Zdzisław Chilmonczyk ,  Aleksander P. Mazurek 

Abstract

Norepinephrine [(R)-(-)-2-amino-1-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethanol] is known to activate mostly α-adrenergic receptors. It can be found in central as well as in peripheral nervous system. It is also released by the adrenal medulla causing a contraction of peripheral blood vessels, a dilation of coronary vessels and exhibiting positively inotropic activity. As a stress hormone, norepinephrine affects parts of the brain where attention and responding actions are controlled. Along with epinephrine, norepinephrine also underlies the fight-or-flight response, directly increasing heart rate, triggering the release of glucose from energy stores, and increasing blood flow to skeletal muscle. As a drug it used in acute circulation insufficiency, in myocardial infarction and anaphylactic shock.

As a method of S enatiomer determination European Pharmacopeia 5.0 recommends specific rotation measurement. Since specific rotation is a parameter depending on several factors which often are difficult to control (e.g. optically active impurities) new methods such as capillary electrophoresis [1,2] and high performance liquid chromatography [3] are being developed.

In the present communication we report the application of chiral stationary phase high performance liqud chromatography to the enantiomeric purity determination of norepinephrine in pharmaceutical substances and preparations.

[1] S. Wei, G. Song, J. M. Lin. J. Chromatogr. A Separation and determination of norepinephrine, epinephrine and isoprenaline by capillary electrophoresis in pharmaceutical formulation and human serum. 1098, 166-171 (2005).
[2] H. Li, W. Luo, X. Hu. Se Pu. Chin. J. Chromatogr. Determination of enantiomeric purity for epinephrine by high performance liquid chromatography. 17, 403-405 (1999).
[3] M. H. Hyun, S. C. Han, B. H. Lipshutz, Y.-J. Shin, C. J. Welch. J. Chromatogr. A Liquid chromatographic resolution of racemic amines, amino alcohols and related compounds on a chiral crown ether stationary phase. 959, 75-83 (2002).

 

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Related papers

Presentation: Poster at VI Multidyscyplinarna Konferencja Nauki o Leku, by Małgorzata Lisowska Kuźmicz
See On-line Journal of VI Multidyscyplinarna Konferencja Nauki o Leku

Submitted: 2008-03-18 12:15
Revised:   2009-06-07 00:48