Abstract

A fluorometric method sufficiently sensitive to determine 0.1 to 5 µg of tryptamine in body fluids and tissues is described. The method involves an extraction with benzene, cyclization with formaldehyde to produce tetrahydronorharman followed by a dehydrogenation to form the highly fluorescent product norharman. By omitting the extraction, the procedure can be applied to measure tryptophan in fingertip blood.