FAILURE OF THE METHOD OF PARALLEL BIOASSAY TO IDENTIFY ACETYLCHOLINE IN MIXTURES OF SUBSTANCES WITH ACETYLCHOLINE-LIKE ACTIVITY

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Abstract
The method of parallel bioassay used on the sensitized frog rectus, the dorsal muscle of the leech, the guinea pig ileum, and the cat's blood pressure has been studied to determine whether this method permits the identification of acetylcholine in mixtures of substances which possess acetylcholine-like activity. It was found that the method cannot identify acetylcholine in such mixtures, and in addition, the data obtained indicated that the method also failed to identify other substances with similar pharmacological activity, which were present in the mixtures. It was concluded that the method of parallel bioassay cannot be used to identify acetylcholine in extracts unless it is shown by other means that acetylcholine is the only active substance present in the material being assayed.