Fluorescence properties of domperidone and its determination in pharmaceutical preparations

The native fluorescence characteristics of domperidone in various solvents and at different pH values are reported. The fluorophore is the benzo-1,3-diazolin-2-one group which is also present in the analogous benperidol, droperidol and pimozide molecules from which domperidone is derived; the substituent may therefore be considered as a relatively strong fluorophore; its excitation and emission maxima are little influenced by pH variation. Domperidone can be determined in pharmaceutical preparations by its native fluorescence in ethanol (λ_ex = 283 nm ;λ_em = 324 nm) and in 0.01 M HCl (λ_ex = 284 nm;λ_em = 329 mn) with a detection limit of 0.01 μg ml^-1.