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Melanochrome-based colorimetric assay for quantitative detection of levodopa in co-presence of carbidopa and its application to relevant anti-Parkinson drugs

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Abstract

In this paper is reported the selective detection and quantification of levodopa in co-presence of carbidopa. The method took advantage of the spontaneous oxidation and color development of levodopa at basic pH here driven by alkaline earth cations and co-solvent in solution. We have shown for the first time the generation and stabilization of the purple melanochrome from levodopa, by using magnesium acetate and dimethyl sulfoxide, which was here exploited for the development of a quantitative colorimetric assay for the active principle ingredient in commercial drugs for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. The calibration curves of levodopa in the two tablet formulations, containing carbidopa as decarboxylase inhibitor, showed a common linear trend between 10 mg L−1 and 40 mg L−1 with levodopa alone or in combination with carbidopa in standard solutions, with very good reproducibility (CVav%, 3.3% for both brand and generic drug) and very good sensitivity, with limit of quantification about 0.6 mg L−1 in any case. The colorimetric method here developed is very simple and effective, appearing as a rapid and low-cost alternative to other methodologies, involving large and expensive instrumentations, for drug estimation and quality control of pharmaceutical formulations.

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Funding

The authors received support from the Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR), through the project “Dipartimenti di Eccellenza 2018-2022,” and Horizon 2020, ERA-NET – Photonic Sensing Transnational Call 2016, through the project PLABAN “advanced PLAsmonic Biosensors ANalysis of nucleic acids.”

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  1. Department of Chemistry ‘Ugo Schiff’, University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy

    Mariagrazia Lettieri, Roberta Emanuele, Simona Scarano, Pasquale Palladino & Maria Minunni

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  1. Mariagrazia Lettieri
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Correspondence to Pasquale Palladino.

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Lettieri, M., Emanuele, R., Scarano, S. et al. Melanochrome-based colorimetric assay for quantitative detection of levodopa in co-presence of carbidopa and its application to relevant anti-Parkinson drugs. Anal Bioanal Chem 414, 1713–1722 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-021-03804-8

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