| Abstract: | Simultaneous determination of melatonin and serotonin in rat pineal gland is described using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorimetric detection. These indoles were analysed isocratically within 15 min. In this work, veratric acid (3,4-dimethoxybenzoic acid), which has fluorescence characteristics (lambda ex = 290 nm, lambda em = 350 nm) around the wavelength of native fluorescence of melatonin (lambda ex = 285 nm, lambda em = 345 nm), was used as an internal standard. This method was applied to the determination of melatonin and serotonin in male and female rat pineal gland. No significant differences between the two groups were observed in the pineal melatonin and serotonin contents. The pineal melatonin and serotonin contents were compared with the oestrous and the di-oestrous phases of female rats. They were not widely different from each other. |
