STUDY OF THE DETERMINATION OF ACETYLCHOLINE AFTER ENZYMATIC-HYDROLYSIS BY TRIANGLE PROGRAMMED COULOMETRIC FLOW TITRATION

A new method for the determination of acetylcholine is introduced and studied. The method uses enzymatic hydrolysis of acetylcholine carried out in a flow-through analytical reactor column, while for the detect ion triangle programmed coulometric flow titration is employed. The fl ow-through coulometric titration system and the preparation of the enz yme reactor are described. The operation conditions for the hydrolysis and for the titration were optimized. The flow-through coulometric ti tration technique offers a better precision for the determination of a cetylcholine in small concentration ranges than methods based on the d etection of pH change. Working conditions of the system can be easily adjusted for different sample concentration ranges. The limit of detec tion for the determination of acetylcholine was found to be 8 x 10(-5) 5 M. The method described could be advantageously used for indirect d etermination of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. (C) 1998 Elsevier Sci ence B.V. All rights reserved.