Determination of Iproniazid and Nialamide in Blood Serum and Urine

Abstract

A new method is described for determination of iproniazid or nialamide in blood serum and urine. The analytical procedure is based on the fact that, with sodium nitritopentacyanoferroate, iproniazid and nialamide give colored reaction products which can be utilized for quantitative analysis. The method is more sensitive and gives lower urine blank values than the earlier method using the ammonium molybdate reagent. Concentrations above 10 μg/d can be determined quantitatively with satisfactory precision. The specificity of the reaction has been investigated. Several cyclic compounds containing a nitrogen atom in the ring and NH_2- or NH-groups in a side chain have been found to react with the nitritopentacyanoferroate reagent. Only in rate-cases, however, are such drugs administered simultaneously with iproniazid or nialamide. A paper chromatographic method has been developed for identifying nitritopentacyanoferroate-re-acting drugs or metabolites which might interfere with the iproniazid-nialamide analysis.