The effect of stationary phase type and mobile phase pH on the separation of some catecholamines

The catecholamines are very important in the control and regulation of a variety of functions acting as neurotransmitters in both central and peripheral nervous systems. Determination of the levels of catecholamines and their metabolites in biological fluids and brain tissue is very important for diagnosis of neurological and psychiatric disorders and in studies on the physiological and pathological role of the autonomic nervous system. High-performance ion-pair chromatography with electrochemical detection and very complicated mobile phases is most frequently used for estimation of these substances. In our studies we tried to apply reversed-phase planar chromatography for the purpose. Silica gel and silanized silica gel were used as stationary phases and solutions of buffer and organic solvents as mobile phases.