High performance liquid chromatographic profiles of nucleosides, bases and tryptophan in the plasma of the Tasmanian devil and four other marsupial species.

Plasma profiles of nucleosides, bases and trytophan of five marsupial species were established using the reversed-phase mode of high performance liquid chromatography (RHPLC). Within each species, the profiles were highly reproducible and between species there were distinct differences. In the Tasmanian devil, the circulating levels of constituents examined with one exception, were generally lower than in the other marsupials. The exception was a constituent present in large amounts and having the characteristics of a purine nucleoside derivative which was found only in the plasma of the devil.