HPLC-FLUORESCENCE DETERMINATION OF BILE-ACIDS IN PHARMACEUTICALS AND BILE AFTER DERIVATIZATION WITH 2-BROMOACETYL-6-METHOXYNAPHTHALENE

2-Bromoacetyl-6-methoxynaphthalene was used as a pre-chromatographic fluorescent labelling reagent for the high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analysis of bile acids. The derivatization reaction was Performed in an aqueous medium in the presence of tetrahexylammonium bromide by ultrasonication at 40-degrees-C to give fluorescent esters which were separated by reversed-phase HPLC and detected fluorimetrically (lambda(ex) = 300 nm, lambda(cm) = 460 nm). Applications to the determination of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) in their pharmaceutical formulations are described. The method was also applied to the determination of free and conjugated bile acids in human bile samples.