Abstract
A new micro method for the colorimetric determination of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) was studied and the standard procedure for the amounts of 0∼50μg. of the steroid was established. The principle of this method is based on the observation that DHEA in acetone is oxidized to androst-4-en-3, 6, 17-trione by the Kiliani's reagent and its p-nitrophenylhydrazone produced a stable color in an alkaline solution of dimethyl-formamide showing an absorption maximum at 590 mμ. By means of the combination of the solvolysis with sulfuric acid in ethyl acetate, the urinary DHEA may quite specifically be determined in the presence of other steroids.
