SYNTHESIS AND DETERMINATION OF N-ACETYLOCTOPAMINE BY HPLC WITH ELECTROCHEMICAL DETECTION - BIOASSAY IN NIPPOSTRONGYLUS-BRASILIENSIS (NEMATODA)

Determination of biogenic amines in invertebrates, by means of highper formance liquid chromatography (HPLC), is of considerable physiologica l significance. In insects, octopamine is released into the hemolymph in response to stress, and exhibits some myogenic properties in both i nsects and nematodes. The first part of the present paper deals with t he synthesis of N-acetyloctopamine from octopamine and with its charac terization. The second part deals, for the first time, with the detect ion of these biogenic amines in insects and nematodes using the chroma tographic system with electrochemical detection. N-acetyloctopamine wa s detected in a chromatographic system enabling determination in biolo gical samples. The interest of the used method is in the simultaneous detection of various biogenic amines. Improvements can certainly be ma de for detection of more specific to invertebrates compounds such as t yramine, octopamine and N-acetylated derivatives.