Fluorometric determination of reserpine in dosage forms

A rapid and highly sensitive fluorometric procedure has been developed for the routine determination of reserpine, in bulk and in dosage forms. The method is based on the fluorescence induced by oxidation of reserpine with hexa-amminecobalt(III) tricarbonatocobaltate in aqueous acetic acid. The oxidation product exhibits a greenish yellow fluorescence with its emission maximum at around 420 nm. The fluorescence intensity is a linear function of reserpine concentration over the range 0.01-0.24 mug/ml in the solution finally measured. The advantages and disadvantages of the proposed method are discussed, and its applicability to different formulations is demonstrated.