Determination of the anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil added to blood serum by liquid chromatography with anodic amperometric detection

Liquid chromatography with on-line anodic amperometric detection is used after a liquid/solid extraction step for the determination of the anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil added to blood serum. A detection limit of 15 ng ml^?1 can be achieved. The anodic electrochemical behaviour of the drug at a mercury electrode, which is the basis of the detection principle, is also described. Anodic amperometric detection at a mercury electrode is compared with detection at a glassy carbon electrode in terms of sensitivity, linearity and selectivity.