Development and validation of a simple and sensitive method for quantification of levodopa and carbidopa in rat and monkey plasma using derivatization and UPLC-MS/MS.

•Derivatization of levodopa and carbidopa with fluorescamine.•Derivatization improved chromatographic retention and sensitivity.•The method was validated over the concentration range of 5/3–5000/3000ng/mL for levodopa/carbidopa.•This method was successfully employed in the analysis of rat and monkey plasma study samples.