Voltammetric behaviour and determination of the anthracycline antitumor drug nogalamycin Original Research Article

The voltammetric behaviour of nogalamycin (NOG), an important antitumor drug, has been studied at a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE). The nature of the process taking place at the HMDE was clarified. A highly sensitive cathodic adsorptive stripping (CAS) voltammetric method for the determination of NOG is presented. The cathodic stripping responses, at −300 and −600 mV, are evaluated with respect to various experimental conditions, such as composition and pH of the supporting electrolyte, NOG concentration, accumulation potential, content of organic solvent, and pre-concentration time. The method is suitable for the determination of NOG concentrations between 0.0989 (1.256×10−7 mol l−1) and 40 mg l−1 (5.1×10−5 mol l−1). CAS voltammetry has been proved to be advantageous over a liquid chromatographic (LC) technique, allowing a detection limit of 0.993 μg l−1 (1.26 nmol l−1) NOG to be reached. The relative standard deviation (RSD) is 1.5%. The method was applied to urine and molecules or ions which may interfere were studied.