Determination of folates by HPLC-chemiluminescence using a ruthenium(II)-cerium(IV) system, and its application to pharmaceutical preparations and supplements.

A chemiluminescence (CL) reaction of folic acid (FA) with ruthenium (II) and cerium (IV) was applied to quantify FA-related compounds such as FA, dihydrofolic acid, tetrahydrofolic acid, 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid, 5-formyltetrahydrofolic acid and methotrexate (MTX). Among the FAs, 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid provided the highest CL intensity. HPLC-CL detection of FA was applied to quantify FA in pharmaceutical preparations and supplements.