Determination of Ethanol in Biological Samples by Gas Chromatography with an Electron-Capture Detection

Abstract

A simple and sensitive procedure for determination of ethanol in biological samples was established. In this procedure, ethanol in biological samples was first converted to acetaldehyde by yeast alcohol dehydrogenase. Then, acetaldehyde formed was derivatized to 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone, which was determined by gas chromatography with an electron-capture detection. Ethanol concentration in 1 ml of rat blood plasma can be measured as 19.5 nmol/ml with 98.0% recovery. Since this procedure enable to determine minute amount of ethanol in biological samples, the method is useful to study the metabolism of ethanol.