High-throughput simultaneous analysis of buprenorphine, methadone, cocaine, opiates, nicotine, and metabolites in oral fluid by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

A method for simultaneous determination of buprenorphine (BUP), norbuprenorphine (NBUP), methadone, 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine (EDDP), cocaine, benzoylecgonine (BE), ecgonine methyl ester (EME), anhydroecgonine methyl ester (AEME), morphine, codeine, 6-acetylmorphine (6AM), heroin, 6-acetylcodeine (6AC), nicotine, cotinine, and trans-3′-hydroxycotinine (OH-cotinine) by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry in oral fluid (OF) was developed and extensively validated. Acetonitrile (800 μL) and OF (250 μL) were added to a 96-well Isolute-PPT+protein precipitation plate. Reverse-phase separation was achieved in 16 min and quantification was performed by multiple reaction monitoring. The assay was linear from 0.5 or 1 to 500 μg/L. Intraday, interday, and total imprecision were less than 13% (n?=?20), analytical recovery was 92–114% (n?=?20), extraction efficiencies were more than 77% (n?=?5), and process efficiencies were more than 45% (n?=?5). Although ion suppression was detected for EME, cocaine, morphine, 6AC, and heroin (less than 56%) and enhancement was detected for BE and nicotine (less than 316%), deuterated internal standards compensated for these effects. The method was sensitive (limit of detection 0.2–0.8 μg/L) and specific (no interferences) except that 3-hydroxy-4-methoxyamphetamine interfered with AEME. No carryover was detected, and all analytes were stable for 24 h at 22 °C, for 72 h at 4 °C, and after three freeze–thaw cycles, except cocaine, 6AC, and heroin (22–97% loss). The method was applied to 41 OF specimens collected throughout pregnancy with a Salivette® OF collection device from an opioid-dependent BUP-maintained pregnant woman. BUP ranged from 0 to 7,400 μg/L, NBUP from 0 to 71 μg/L, methadone from 0 to 3 μg/L, nicotine from 32 to 5,020 μg/L, cotinine from 125 to 508 μg/L, OH-cotinine from 11 to 51 μg/L, cocaine from 0 to 419 μg/L, BE from 0 to 351 μg/L, EME from 0 to 286 μg/L, AEME from 0 to 7 μg/L, morphine from 0 to 22 μg/L, codeine from 0 to 1 μg/L, 6AM from 0 to 4 μg/L, and heroin from 0 to 2 μg/L. All specimens tested negative for EDDP and 6AC. This method permits a fast and simultaneous quantification of 16 drugs and metabolites in OF, with good selectivity and sensitivity.     

Validation of ELISA screening and LC–MS/MS confirmation methods for cocaine in hair after simple extraction

This article describes an easy and innovative extraction procedure for cocaine and its primary metabolite, benzoylecgonine (BE), from hair consisting of sonication with H₂O/0.1% formic acid for 4 h. The same extract was used for screening with an enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) and confirmation by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). For the ELISA screening test a cutoff of 0.5 ng/mg was used according to the Society of Hair Testing recommendations. LC–MS/MS limits of detection (LODs) were established to be 10 pg/mg and 1 pg/mg for cocaine and BE, respectively. Linearity was obtained over a range of 0.2–5 ng/mg for BE (target analyte) in the ELISA screening test, while in the LC–MS/MS method the range was 0.10–10 ng/mg for cocaine and 0.01–10 ng/mg for BE. Intra- and interbatch coefficients of variation and mean relative errors were less than 20% for all analytes and concentrations studied. The validated ELISA and LC–MS/MS methods were applied to 48 hair samples and the results of both methods were compared; ELISA demonstrated a sensitivity and specificity of 89.2% and 10.8%.     

Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC-MS/MS) determination of cocaine and its metabolites benzoylecgonine, ecgonine methyl ester, and cocaethylene in hair samples

This study reports the development and validation of a method using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC-MS/MS) for the analysis of cocaine and its metabolites benzoylecgonine (BE), ecgonine methyl ester (EME), and cocaethylene (CE) in hair samples. Decontamination was performed as follows: Firstly, the aliquot of hair was briefly rinsed with 2 mL dichloromethane, then was washed three times with 10 mL 0.01 M phosphate buffer, pH 6, for 15 min, followed by 2 mL 2-propanol for less than 2 min, and, finally, a last rinse with 2 mL dichloromethane was again done. Cocaine compounds were extracted from 10 mg of hair by incubation with 2 mL 0.1 M HCl at 50 °C for 12 h and purified by solid phase extraction with Oasis MCX cartridges. Analysis was performed by LC-MS/MS using an Atlantis HILIC silica chromatographic column. The method was fully validated. Linearity was established over the concentration range 0.020–10.0 ng/mg for cocaine (COC), 0.010–10.0 ng/mg for BE and CE, and 0.005–2.0 ng/mg for EME, and the correlation coefficients were all >0.99. Extraction efficiency was >70% for all analytes. Limits of detection were 0.0005 ng/mg for CE and 0.001 ng/mg for the other analytes (COC, BE, and EME). Lower limits of quantification were the lowest points of the calibration curves with acceptable accuracy and precision (coefficient of variation ≤20%). Intra- and inter-day imprecision ranged between 1.5% and 9.5% and 0.7% and 12.6%, respectively. Intra- and inter-day inaccuracy ranged from 0.5% to 12.3% and from 0.7% to 7.1%, respectively. With regard to matrix effects, suppression was <27.5% in all cases. The method was applied to the analysis of several samples derived from forensic cases.     

Simultaneous analysis of buprenorphine,methadone, cocaine,opiates and nicotine metabolites in sweat by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

A liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for buprenorphine (BUP), norbuprenorphine (NBUP), methadone, 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine (EDDP), cocaine, benzoylecgonine, ecgonine methyl ester (EME), morphine, codeine, 6-acetylmorphine, heroin, 6-acetylcodeine, cotinine, and trans-3′-hydroxycotinine quantification in sweat was developed and comprehensively validated. Sweat patches were mixed with 6 mL acetate buffer at pH 4.5, and supernatant extracted with Strata-XC-cartridges. Reverse-phase separation was achieved with a gradient mobile phase of 0.1% formic acid and acetonitrile in 15 min. Quantification was achieved by multiple reaction monitoring of two transitions per compound. The assay was a linear 1–1,000 ng/patch, except EME 5–1,000 ng/patch. Intra-, inter-day and total imprecision were <10.1%CV, analytical recovery 87.2–107.7%, extraction efficiency 35.3–160.9%, and process efficiency 25.5–91.7%. Ion suppression was detected for EME (−63.3%) and EDDP (−60.4%), and enhancement for NBUP (42.6%). Deuterated internal standards compensated for these effects. No carryover was detected, and all analytes were stable for 24 h at 22 °C, 72 h at 4 °C, and after three freeze/thaw cycles. The method was applied to weekly sweat patches from an opioid-dependent BUP-maintained pregnant woman; 75.0% of sweat patches were positive for BUP, 93.8% for cocaine, 37.5% for opiates, 6.3% for methadone and all for tobacco biomarkers. This method permits a fast and simultaneous quantification of 14 drugs and metabolites in sweat patches, with good selectivity and sensitivity.     

Simultaneous determination of morphine,codeine, 6‐acetylmorphine,cocaine and benzoylecgonine in hair by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

A fast and sensitive liquid chromatography/triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method was developed for the simultaneous determination of morphine, codeine, 6‐acetylmorphine (6‐AM), cocaine and benzoylecgonine (BE) in hair. Pulverized hair samples were extracted with methanol, and a 50 µL supernatant aliquot was injected into the LC/MS/MS system. Chromatography was performed with an XBridge? phenyl column (3.5 µm particle size, 4.6 × 150 mm), and the mobile phase was composed of methanol and 10 mM ammonium acetate adjusted to pH 4.00 with 99% formic acid (95:5, v/v). A separation run with isocratic elution was completed in 10 min at a flow rate of 500 µL/min. Positive electrospray ionization and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) with one precursor ion/product ion transition were used for the identification of each analyte. Deuterated analogues as internal standards were used for quantification and qualification. Linearity was established in the concentration range of 100–3000 pg/mg. The limits of detection were 10 pg/mg for morphine, codeine and 6‐AM; and 1 pg/mg for cocaine and BE. The precision and accuracy were determined by spiking hair samples at six concentration levels. For all analytes, the relative standard deviations of intra‐ and inter‐day precision were 0.1–6.3% and 1.5–10.6%, respectively. The accuracy ranged from 92.7 to 109.7%. The validated LC/MS/MS method was successfully applied to the analysis of 79 authentic hair samples. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quantification of cocaine and metabolites in exhaled breath by liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry following controlled administration of intravenous cocaine

Breath has been investigated as an alternative matrix for detecting recent cocaine intake; however, there are no controlled cocaine administration studies that investigated the drug’s disposition into breath. Breath was collected from 10 healthy adult cocaine users by asking them to breathe into a SensAbues device for 3 min before and up to 22 h following 25 mg intravenous (IV) cocaine dosing on days 1, 5, and 10, and assayed with a validated liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) method to quantify breath cocaine, benzoylecgonine (BE), ecgonine methyl ester (EME), and norcocaine. The assay was linear from 25 to 1,000 pg/filter, extraction efficiencies were 83.6–126 %, intra- and inter-assay imprecision was <10.6 %, and bias was between ?8.5 and 16.8 %. No endogenous or exogenous interferences were observed for more than 75 tested. Analytes were generally stable under short-term storage conditions. Ion suppression was less than 46 %. Of breath specimens collected after controlled cocaine administration, 2.6 % were positive for cocaine (26.1–66 pg/filter, 1–9.5 h), 0.72 % BE (83.3–151 pg/filter, 6.5–12.5 h), and 0.72 % EME (50–69.1 pg/filter, 6.5–12.5 h); norcocaine was not detected. Methanolic extraction of the devices themselves, after filters were removed, yielded 19.2 % positive cocaine tests (25.2–36.4 pg/device, 10 min–22 h) and 4.3 % positive BE tests (26.4–93.7 pg/device, 10 min–22 h), explaining differences between the two extraction techniques. These results suggest that the device reflects the drug in oral fluid as well as lung microparticles, while the filter reflects only drug-laden microparticles. A sensitive and specific method for cocaine, BE, EME, and norcocaine quantification in breath was developed and validated. Cocaine in breath identifies recent cocaine ingestion, but its absence does not preclude recent use.

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Determination of illicit and medicinal drugs and their metabolites in oral fluid and preserved oral fluid by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

An LC-MS/MS method using 0.5 ml of oral fluid was developed for the determination of morphine, codeine, 6-monoacetylmorphine, methadone, amphetamine, methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-ethylamphetamine, benzoylecgonine, cocaine, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, zolpidem, zopiclone, alprazolam, clonazepam, oxazepam, nordiazepam, lorazepam, flunitrazepam, diazepam, diphenhydramine and amitriptyline. The method was fully validated in terms of linearity (the method was linear between 1–5 μg/L and 100–200 μg/L) recoveries (7.5–82.6%), within-day and between-day precisions and accuracies (CV and MRE, both <15%), limits of detection (0.5 μ g/L) and quantitation (the lowest point on the calibration curve), relative ion intensities, freeze-and-thaw stability and matrix effect. The method was applied to preserved oral fluid collected by a special commercial device, the StatSure Saliva Sampler™.     

Optimization and validation of a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous quantification of nicotine,cotinine, <Emphasis Type="Italic">trans</Emphasis>-3′-hydroxycotinine and norcotinine in human oral fluid

An analytical procedure was developed and validated for the simultaneous identification and quantification of nicotine, cotinine, trans-3′-hydroxycotinine, and norcotinine in 0.5 mL of human oral fluid collected with the Quantisal™ oral fluid collection device. Solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with multiple reaction monitoring were utilized. Endogenous and exogenous interferences were extensively evaluated. Limits of quantification were empirically identified by decreasing analyte concentrations. Linearity was from 1 to 2,000 ng/mL for nicotine and norcotinine, 0.5 to 2,000 ng/mL for trans-3′-hydroxycotinine, and 0.2 to 2,000 ng/mL for cotinine. Correlation coefficients for calibration curves were >0.99 and analytes quantified within ±13% of target at all calibrator concentrations. Suitable analytical recovery (>91%) was achieved with extraction efficiencies >56% and matrix effects <29%. This assay will be applied to the quantification of nicotine and metabolites in oral fluid in a clinical study determining the most appropriate nicotine biomarker concentrations differentiating active, passive, and environmental nicotine exposure.     

Contribution of microextraction in packed sorbent for the analysis of cotinine in human urine by GC–MS

A simple, rapid, sensitive, and non-consuming solvent method for the determination of cotinine in urine was developed, based on sample preparation by the relatively new technique microextraction in packed sorbent (MEPS) and analysis by GC–MS. This optimized method was compared with conventional solid-phase extraction/liquid–liquid extraction method used as reference. The wide linear range (5–5,000 ng/mL) and high sensitivity of the MEPS method (limit of detection 0.8 ng/mL) allow application to analysis of urine from smokers as well as non-smokers susceptible to passive smoking.     

Quantitative analysis of hair samples for 1-benzylpiperazine (BZP) using high-performance liquid chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) detection

Benzylpiperazine (BZP) is an amphetamine-type stimulant, which was legally available in New Zealand and widely used in “Party Pills” until reclassification as a Class C drug in April 2008. BZP was included as part of a multi-analyte method developed for hair screening using high-performance liquid chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). A 20-mg sample of hair is extracted and partially purified using mixed-mode solid-phase extraction cartridges prior to analysis by LC-MS/MS. The method was developed as a broad screen for drugs of abuse (including amphetamines, opiates, and benzodiazepines), with only the BZP results being presented here. The assay was validated and found to be linear over the range of 0.085 to 8.65 ng/mg with correlation coefficient of r ² ≥ 0.99. Blank hair samples spiked with BZP at 0.22 and 2.16 ng/mg gave intra- and inter-day precision coefficients of variation of ≤10% (n = 6 per day, 3 days) at both levels and calculated extraction efficiencies of 78% and 91%, respectively. The results from the samples submitted to the laboratory for BZP analysis showed 11% were positive (n = 126). The mean BZP level was 3.9 ng/mg (range, 0.4–33 ng/mg; the result was extrapolated when above the calibration). These data are the first available showing the levels expected from users of BZP.     

A fully validated high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the determination of ethyl glucuronide in hair for the proof of strict alcohol abstinence

Hair analysis has become a powerful tool for the detection of chronic and past drug consumption. For several years, it has been possible to determine even the intake of ethanol in hair samples by detecting the ethanol metabolites ethyl glucuronide or fatty acid ethyl esters. Recently, new requirements were published for the use of EtG as an abstinence test (c _EtG < 7 pg/mg) as well as for heavy-drinking detection (c _EtG > 30 pg/mg). In order to perform abstinence tests, a sensitive LC-MS/MS procedure has been developed and fully validated according to the guidelines of forensic toxicology. The nine-point calibration curve showed linearity over the range of concentrations from 2–1,000 pg/mg. Detection and quantification limits were 1 and 4 pg/mg respectively. The intra- and inter-day precision and accuracy were always better than 20%. The validated procedure has successfully been applied to perform abstinence tests and to analyze hair samples from persons in withdrawal treatment. Concentrations between <LOQ and 400 pg/mg were determined. In some cases, interfering peaks complicated the quantification to some extent. First results using varied chromatographic conditions showed constituting results. However, modified chromatographic conditions help substantiate critical results, especially if the determined EtG concentration is close to a cut-off value.     

Evaluation of an analytical method for determining phthalate esters in wine samples by solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography coupled with ion-trap mass spectrometer detector

A solid-phase extraction (SPE) method was developed for extraction and analysis of six phthalate esters in wine samples using Carbograph 1 sorbent. The SPE procedure allowed efficient recovery of the investigated phthalates ranging between 78% and 105% with a relative standard deviation (RSD) ≤6.5 for an ethanolic phthalic acid ester (PAE) standard solution and between 73–71% and 96–99% with a RSD ≤8.4 for red wine samples spiked with 20 and 50 ng mL⁻¹ of PAE, respectively. The adsorption isotherms and breakthrough curves for Carbograph 1/water solution were reported. Gas chromatography coupled with an ion-trap mass spectrometer detector (GC/IT-MS) was used for analysis. The instrumental analytical protocol was found to yield a linear calibration in the range 0.01-10.0 μg mL⁻¹ with R ² values ≥0.9992. The limits of detection in GC/IT-MS (SIM mode) vary between 0.2 and 14 ng mL⁻¹ (RSD ≤5.6) whereas the limits of quantification range between 0.5 and 25 ng mL⁻¹ (RSD ≤5.9); the intra- and inter-day repeatabilities calculated as RSD for wine samples, were between 0.9–7.8 and 1.0–10.5, respectively. The analytical method developed was applied to several commercial wine samples. Furthermore, the investigated methods are simple, reliable, reproducible, and not expensive.     

Determination of tandospirone in human plasma by a liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method

A rapid, sensitive, and selective liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method for the detection of tandospirone in human plasma is described. It was employed in a pharmacokinetic study. The analyte and internal standard diphenhydramine were extracted from plasma using liquid–liquid extraction, then separated on a Zorbax XDB C₁₈ column using a mobile phase of methanol–water–formic acid (80:20:0.5, v/v/v). The detection was performed with a tandem mass spectrometer equipped with an electrospray ionization source. Linearity was established in the concentration range of 10.0-5,000 pg/ml. The lower limit of quantification was 10.0 pg/ml. The intraday and interday relative standard deviation across three validation runs over the entire concentration range was less than 13%. Accuracy determined at three concentrations (25.0, 200, and 4,000 pg/ml for tandospirone) ranged from 94.4 to 102.1%. Each plasma sample was chromatographed within 3.4 min. The method proved to be highly selective and suitable for bioequivalence evaluation of different formulations containing tandospirone and clinical pharmacokinetic investigation of tandospirone.     

Simultaneous determination of plasma nicotine and cotinine by UHPLC–MS/MS in C57BL/6 mice and its application in a pharmacokinetic study

Plasma concentrations of nicotine and its active metabolite cotinine are highly correlated with its biological effects. A UHPLC–MS/MS method was developed, validated and applied for nicotine and cotinine analysis in mice plasma. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a BEH HILIC column using acetonitrile (0.1% formic acid) and 10 mm ammonium formate as mobile phase. The gradient elution was performed at 0.4 mL/min with a run time of 3.6 min. The quantitative ion transition was m/z 163.1 > 130.0 for nicotine, m/z 177.1 > 80.0 for cotinine and m/z 167.1 > 134.0 for nicotine‐D₄ (internal standard, IS). For both nicotine and cotinine, the calibration range was 5–500 ng/mL with 5 ng/mL as the lower limit of quantitation, and the intra‐ and inter‐day bias and imprecision were ?4.61–12.00% and <11.12%. The IS normalized recovery was 90.62–98.95% for nicotine and 89.18–101.53% for cotinine, and the IS normalized matrix factor was 106.00–116.44% for nicotine and 100.34–109.85% for cotinine. Both nicotine and cotinine were stable under conventional storage conditions. The validated method has been applied to a pharmacokinetic study in mice to calculate the pharmacokinetic parameters for both analytes.     

A validated method for the determination of nicotine, cotinine, trans-3'-hydroxycotinine, and norcotinine in human plasma using solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry

A liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometric method for the simultaneous determination of nicotine, cotinine, trans-3'-hydroxycotinine, and norcotinine in human plasma was developed and validated. Analytes and deuterated internal standards were extracted from human plasma using solid-phase extraction and analyzed by liquid chromatography/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometric detection with selected ion monitoring (SIM). Limits of detection and quantification were 1.0 and 2.5 ng/ml, respectively, for all analytes. Linearity ranged from 2.5 to 500 ng/ml of human plasma using a weighting factor of 1/x; correlation coefficients for the calibration curves were > 0.99. Intra- and inter-assay precision and accuracy were < 15.0%. Recoveries were 108.2-110.8% nicotine, 95.8-108.7% cotinine, 90.5-99.5% trans-3'-hydroxycotinine, and 99.5-109.5% norcotinine. The method was also partially validated in bovine serum, owing to the difficulty of obtaining nicotine-free human plasma for the preparation of calibrators and quality control (QC) samples. This method proved to be robust and accurate for the quantification of nicotine, cotinine, trans-3'-hydroxycotinine, and norcotinine in human plasma collected in clinical studies of acute nicotine effects on brain activity and on the development of neonates of maternal smokers.     

Analysis of cocaine and its principal metabolites in waste and surface water using solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography–ion trap tandem mass spectrometry

A validated method based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) and liquid chromatography-ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is described for the determination of cocaine (COC) and its principal metabolites, benzoylecgonine (BE) and ecgonine methyl ester (EME), in waste and surface water. Several SPE adsorbents were investigated and the highest recoveries (95.7 +/- 5.5, 91.8 +/- 2.2 and 72.5 +/- 5.3% for COC, BE and EME, respectively) were obtained for OASIS HLB(R) cartridges (6 mL/500 mg) using 100 mL of waste water or 500 mL of surface water. Extracts were analysed by reversed-phase (RP) or hydrophilic interaction (HILIC) LC-MS/MS in positive ion mode with multiple reactions monitoring (MRM); the latter is the first reported application of the HILIC technique for drugs of abuse in water samples. Corresponding deuterated internal standards were used for quantification. The method limits of quantification (LOQs) for COC and BE were 4 and 2 ng L(-1), respectively, when RPLC was used and 1, 0.5 and 20 ng L(-1) for COC, BE and EME, respectively, with the HILIC setup. For COC and BE, the LOQs were below the concentrations measured in real water samples. Stability tests were conducted to establish the optimal conditions for sample storage (pH, temperature and time). The degradation of COC was minimal at -20 degrees C and pH = 2, but it was substantial at +20 degrees C and pH = 6. The validated method was applied to a set of waste and surface water samples collected in Belgium.     

A simple,fast, and sensitive method for the measurement of serum nicotine,cotinine, and nornicotine by LC–MS/MS

The measurement of nicotine and its metabolites has been used to monitor tobacco use. A high‐sensitivity method (<1 ng/mL) is necessary for the measurement in serum or plasma to differentiate nonsmokers from passive smokers. Here, we report a novel LC–MS/MS method to quantify nicotine, cotinine, and nornicotine in serum with high sensitivity. Sample preparation involved only protein precipitation, followed by online turbulent flow extraction and analysis on a porous graphitic carbon column in alkaline conditions. The chromatography time was 4 min. No significant matrix effects or interference were observed. The lower limit of quantification was 0.36, 0.32, and 0.38 ng/mL for nicotine, cotinine, and nornicotine, respectively, while accuracy was 91.6–117.1%. No carryover was observed up to a concentration of 48 , 550, and 48 ng/mL for nicotine, cotinine, and nornicotine, respectively. Total CV was <6.5%. The measurement of nicotine and cotinine was compared with an independent LC–MS/MS method and concordant results were obtained. In conclusion, this new method was simple, fast, sensitive, and accurate. It was validated to measure nicotine, cotinine, and nornicotine in serum for monitoring tobacco use.     

A rapid analytical method based on microwave-assisted extraction for the determination of drugs of abuse in vitreous humor

Robust and simple validated analytical methods are required in postmortem toxicology to confirm immunoassay screening analysis of drugs of abuse. In this work, microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) was evaluated as an alternative method for extraction of target compounds such as cocaine, benzoylecgonine, cocaethylene, morphine, codeine, 6-monoacetylmorphine, methadone, and 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine from vitreous humor. The MAE procedure parameters, namely, extraction temperature, time, and solvent volume, were optimized using a central composite design and applying desirability functions. The optimal conditions for extraction were 80 °C, 8 min, and 15 mL of dichloromethane solvent. The MAE–high-performance liquid chromatography–diode-array detection method was validated, showing its capability for the detection of concentrations in the range from 33 to 76 ng mL⁻¹ and recoveries in the range from 87 to 99.3% for all drugs. The MAE-based method was tested for 15 vitreous humor samples from forensic cases and its performance was compared with that of a solid-phase extraction method previously developed by our group. In general, better recovery and precision were achieved with the use of the MAE-based procedure.     

Development and validation of a solid-phase extraction gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous quantification of methadone, heroin, cocaine and metabolites in sweat

A sensitive and specific method is presented to simultaneously quantify methadone, heroin, cocaine and metabolites in sweat. Drugs were eluted from sweat patches with sodium acetate buffer, followed by SPE and quantification by GC/MS with electron impact ionization and selected ion monitoring. Daily calibration for anhydroecgonine methyl ester, ecgonine methyl ester, cocaine, benzoylecgonine (BE), codeine, morphine, 6-acetylcodeine, 6-acetylmorphine (6AM), heroin (5-1000 ng/patch) and methadone (10-1000 ng/patch) achieved determination coefficients of >0.995, and calibrators quantified to within +/-20% of the target concentrations. Extended calibration curves (1000-10,000 ng/patch) were constructed for methadone, cocaine, BE and 6AM by modifying injection techniques. Within (N = 5) and between-run (N = 20) imprecisions were calculated at six control levels across the dynamic ranges with coefficients of variation of <6.5%. Accuracies at these concentrations were +/-11.9% of target. Heroin hydrolysis during specimen processing was <11%. This novel assay offers effective monitoring of drug exposure during drug treatment, workplace and criminal justice monitoring programs.     

A liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous quantification of 20 drugs of abuse and metabolites in human meconium

A method for the simultaneous quantification of 20 cocaine, amphetamine, opiate, and nicotine analytes in meconium, the first neonatal feces, by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was developed and validated. Specimen preparation included methanol homogenization and solid phase extraction. Two injections were required to achieve sufficient sensitivity and linear dynamic range. Linearity ranged from 0.5–25 up to 500 ng/g (250 ng/g p-hydroxymethamphetamine), and correlation coefficients were >0.996. Imprecision was <10.0% CV, analytical recovery 85.5–123.1%, and extraction efficiencies >46.7% at three concentrations across the linear range. Despite significant matrix effects of −305.7–40.7%, effects were similar for native and deuterated analytes. No carryover, endogenous or exogenous interferences were observed, with analyte stability at room temperature, 4 °C, and −20 °C and on the autosampler >70%, except for 6-acetylmorphine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, and morphine. Method applicability was demonstrated by analyzing meconium from drug-exposed neonates.