Determination of propylthiouracil and methylthiouracil in human serum using high-performance liquid chromatography with chemiluminescence detection

Based on the sensitizing effect of formaldehyde on the chemiluminescence (CL) reaction of propylthiouracil (PTU) and methylthiouracil (MTU) with acidic potassium permanganate and the combination technique of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), a sensitive, selective and simple post-column CL detection method for determining PTU and MTU is described. The optimal conditions for the CL detection and HPLC separation were carried out. The linear ranges were 0.1–20 μg mL−1 for MTU and 0.1–10 μg mL−1 for PTU, the detection limits were 0.03 μg mL−1 for PTU, 0.03 μg mL−1 for MTU and the quantification limits were 0.1 μg mL−1 for PTU, 0.1 μg mL−1 for MTU. The method has been satisfactorily applied for the determination of MTU and PTU in human serum samples.