Derivatization of endogenous and exogenous compounds in plasma for high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis.

Methods are described for the analysis of endogenous (acetoacetic and pyruvic acids) and exogenous (propranolol) compounds in plasma. Acetoacetic and pyruvic acids were converted into 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones and identified by chromatography on a normal-phase silica gel column at 360 nm. The propranolol amino group was modified with dansyl chloride and the dansyl derivative, after extraction with a hydrophobic solvent, was analysed on a normal-phase silica gel column using fluorescence detection. The method allows the determination of 0.5 ng/ml of propranolol.