Simultaneous Determination of Epinephrine and Norepinephrine by High Performance Liquid Chromatography

Epinephrine and non-epinephrine are major endogenous catecholamines which are known as neurotransmitter. The plasma levels of catecholamines are significant markers of several neuro-endocrine disorders and autonomic nervous system disorders. A method for the simultaneous quantitation of epinephrine and norepinephrine is described. The related substances are resolved on a Phenomenex ODS analytical column C18 column (150 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) using a mobile phase composed of a mixture of acetic acid and 50mM sodium acetate buffer pH 3.1 (1:99 v/v) at a flow rate of 1 ml/min with UV detector at 285 nm. The method is compatible with HPLC-MS and provides a tool for the control of substandard and counterfeit commercial preparations of epinephrine and norepinephrine.