Determination of (S)(-)-cathinone by spectrophotometric detection.
Previous studies on the Khat plant (Catha edulis, Celastraceae) illustrated the importance of using freshly harvested young shoots and leaves such that cathinone, the principle active component and Schedule I controlled drug contained within the plant, could be suitably isolated and identified. The purpose of this work was to develop a quantitative analytical technique for the determination of cathinone. The proposed method is based on treating the reductant cathinone with copper(II)-neocuproine reagent in sodium acetate-buffered medium followed by measuring the absorbance of the copper(I)-neocuproine complex at 455 nm. The calibration plot is linear in the range 0.08-25 micrograms ml-1 with a detection limit of 0.08 microgram ml-1. The precision of the method, expressed as the relative standard deviation, is 1.35% for 10 micrograms ml-1 cathinone. Good recoveries have been obtained in applying the method to the analysis of cathinone in Khat leaves.
al-Obaid
A M
AM
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
al-Tamrah
S A
SA
Aly
F A
FA
Alwarthan
A A
AA
D000470:Alkaloids / Q000032:analysis*; D002021:Buffers; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000032:analysis*; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry; D004355:Drug Stability; D010618:Phenanthrolines / Q000737:chemistry; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis; D018515:Plant Leaves; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000032:analysis*; D013053:Spectrophotometry / Q000379:methods
D000470:Alkaloids; D002021:Buffers; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D010618:Phenanthrolines; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; C023665:cathinone; D003300:Copper; C002701:neocuproine