Simple and rapid determination of psoralens in topic solutions using liquid chromatography

A method for sample preparation and high-performance liquid chromatography detection and quantification has been developed for the routine analysis of psoralen and bergapten, photosensitizing compounds, in topic solutions emp loyed in Brazil for treatment of vitiligo and psoriasis. The linearity, acc uracy, the inter- and intra-day precision of the procedure were evaluated. The calibration curve for psoralen and bergapten were linear in the range 1 .0-20.0 mug ml(-1). The best recoveries of the psoralens in the topic solut ions analysed were 96.3-98.2%. The percentage coefficient of variation of t he quantitative analysis of the psoralens in the product analyses was withi n 5%. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.