Hair analysis for medicaments — the best proof for a drug career

It is now possible, with improved, more specific and highly sensitive chemical-physical processes, to detect medicinal and illegal drugs in human hair. It is fascinating that successful examinations are possible of the type of medication and illegal drugs consumed, particularly by addicts, over a period of many months and, in certain cases, years. This opens completely new avenues not only for forensic medicine and clinical diagnostics but also for the administration of justice. Previously all this was only applied to inorganic hair analysis.     

Detection of the anabolic steroid methylestosterone in hair by HPLC-EIA

Summary An analytical method to detect the illegal application of the anabolic steroid methyltestosterone (MT) in cattle by hair analysis was developed. The time course of the incorporation of this orally active xenobiotic steroid into growing hair and the duration of its possible detection by hair analysis were measured. Female veal calves were fed with 35 μg MT per kg body weight, twice daily, for 10 days. Before, during and after the treatment, hair samples were obtained and analyzed for MT residues. An appropriate method to extract MT from hair was developed. The extraction procedure consisted of liquid-liquid and solid-phase extraction and was followed by an essential high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) step for further purification of the extracts. Final quantitfication was done with a specific enzyme immunoassay (EIA). MT residues could be detected in hair from day 4 (approximately 5 ng MT/g hair) of the experiment up to day 94 (approaximately 0.5 ng MT/g). Our results suggest that hair analysis may be a powerful means to detect and track the illegal use of anabolic steroids. Presented at the 21^st ISC held in Stuttgart, Germany, 15^th–20^th September, 1996     

超高效液相色谱-四极杆-飞行时间质谱法测定防脱发化妆品中19种非法添加化学成分

建立了超高效液相色谱-四极杆-飞行时间质谱(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS)法,结合高分辨质谱数据库,用于快速筛查及定量分析防脱发化妆品中19种非法添加化学成分.实验比较了提取溶剂的影响,优化了色谱条件和质谱条件.采用ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18色谱柱(100 mm×2.1 mm,1.7μm)进行色谱分离,以乙...     

Bioanalytical procedures and recent developments in the determination of opiates/opioids in human biological samples

The use and abuse of illegal drugs affects all modern societies, and therefore the assessment of drug exposure is an important task that needs to be accomplished. For this reason, the reliable determination of these drugs and their metabolites in biological specimens is an issue of utmost relevance for both clinical and forensic toxicology laboratories in their fields of expertise, including in utero drug exposure, driving under the influence of drugs and drug use in workplace scenarios. Most of the confirmatory analyses for abused drugs in biological samples are performed by gas chromatographic–mass spectrometric methods, but use of the more recent and sensitive liquid chromatography–(tandem) mass spectrometry technology is increasing dramatically. This article reviews recently published articles that describe procedures for the detection of opiates in the most commonly used human biological matrices, blood and urine, and also in unconventional ones, e.g. oral fluid, hair, and meconium. Special attention will be paid to sample preparation and chromatographic analysis.     

Analytical pitfalls in hair testing

This review focuses on possible pitfalls in hair testing procedures. Knowledge of such pitfalls is useful when developing and validating methods, since it can be used to avoid wrong results as well as wrong interpretations of correct results. In recent years, remarkable advances in sensitive and specific analytical techniques have enabled the analysis of drugs in alternative biological specimens such as hair. Modern analytical procedures for the determination of drugs in hair specimens—mainly by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS)—are reviewed and critically discussed. Many tables containing information related to this topic are provided.     

Investigations into the feasibility of routine ultra high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry analysis of equine hair samples for detecting the misuse of anabolic steroids,anabolic steroid esters and related compounds

The detection of the abuse of anabolic steroids in equine sport is complicated by the endogenous nature of some of the abused steroids, such as testosterone and nandrolone. These steroids are commonly administered as intramuscular injections of esterified forms of the steroid, which prolongs their effects and improves bioavailability over oral dosing. The successful detection of an intact anabolic steroid ester therefore provides unequivocal proof of an illegal administration, as esterified forms are not found endogenously. Detection of intact anabolic steroid esters is possible in plasma samples but not, to date, in the traditional doping control matrix of urine. The analysis of equine mane hair for the detection of anabolic steroid esters has the potential to greatly extend the time period over which detection of abuse can be monitored.     

定性和定量分析磺胺氯吡嗪钠可溶性粉中的未知添加物

定性和定量分析了一批兽药磺胺氯吡嗪钠可溶性粉中的未知添加物。使用电位滴定法对该批磺胺氯吡嗪钠可溶性粉进行含量测定,发现滴定异常,根据标准进行的两项鉴别有一项不合格,因此怀疑添加了其他化合物。采用超高效液相色谱-四极杆-飞行时间质谱(UHPLC-Q/TOF MS)对该批样品进行筛查,发现疑似添加物,并使用高效液相色谱-二极管阵列检测(HPLC-DAD)法进行了双重确证和含量测定。该批样品中非法添加物为乙酰甲喹和磺胺二甲嘧啶,添加量分别为40.3和16.4 mg/g。通过总结该批样品非法添加物的发现、确证和含量测定的整个过程,得出一种较好的筛查未知物的模式,为兽药处方外非法添加筛查提供可借鉴的思路。     

Quantitative analysis of propofol-glucuronide in hair as a marker for propofol abuse

The inappropriate or illegal use of propofol has recently come to the fore as a serious social issue in South Korea. Thus, in spite of its superior potency as a therapeutic drug, propofol was classified as a controlled drug under the purview of Narcotics Control Law in South Korea in February of 2011. Accordingly, the determination of propofol and/or its metabolites in biological specimens is required to prove ingestion. Therefore, to demonstrate chronic ingestion, a quantitative analytical method for propofol-glucuronide in hair was developed and validated using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). This method was applied to measure propofol-glucuronide in hair samples from 23 propofol abuse suspects and in both pigmented and nonpigmented hair from rats which had ingested propofol. Propofol-glucuronide in hair was extracted in methanol and then filtered and analyzed by LC-MS/MS with electrospray ionization in negative mode. The validation results of selectivity, matrix effect, recovery, linearity, precision and accuracy, and processed sample stability were satisfactory. The limit of detection was 20 pg/10 mg hair and the limit of quantification was 50 pg/10 mg hair. The concentration range of propofol-glucuronide in hair segments from 23 propofol abuse suspects was shown up to 1,410 pg/mg. The animal study demonstrated that the presence of melanin did not affect the deposition of propofol-glucuronide in hair. Thus, we propose propofol-glucuronide in hair as a marker for propofol abuse. This method will be very useful for monitoring the inappropriate use of propofol for both legal and public health aspects.     

A fast immunoassay for the screening of beta-agonists in hair.

Hair has been shown to be an excellent site for the accumulation of clenbuterol residues. Compared with other matrices, hair sampling is very easy and this might result in large numbers of samples. In this study, a simple digestion-extraction procedure was combined with a sensitive clenbuterol ELISA, which resulted in an easy screening procedure suitable for the detection of at least four beta-agonists. Hair from untreated cows (n = 40) resulted in low blank levels (0.9 +/- 0.7 and 0.5 +/- 0.2 ng g-1 for black and white hair, respectively). The detection limits for clenbuterol, bromobuterol, mapenterol and mabuterol were determined as 1-1.5 ng g-1 for white and 3-4 ng g-1 for black hair. The accumulation of mabuterol and mapenterol in black and white hair from treated calves was demonstrated by GC-MS. The screening assay is not suitable for the detection of cimbuterol (owing to the low extraction efficiency) and for salbutamol and terbutaline (owing to the low cross-reactivity of the antibodies used for the ELISA and the low extraction efficiency). Black hair samples from cows treated with clenbuterol were still found to be positive (> 5 ng g-1) at 23 weeks after treatment. The fast screening procedure is a powerful means to detect and track the illegal use of clenbuterol, bromobuterol, mabuterol and mapenterol in animal production.     

Hair-based rapid analyses for multiple drugs in forensics and doping: application of dynamic multiple reaction monitoring with LC-MS/MS

Background

Considerable efforts are being extended to develop more effective methods to detect drugs in forensic science for applications such as preventing doping in sport. The aim of this study was to develop a sensitive and accurate method for analytes of forensic and toxicological nature in human hair at sub-pg levels.

Results

The hair test covers a range of different classes of drugs and metabolites of forensic and toxicological nature including selected anabolic steroids, cocaine, amphetamines, cannabinoids, opiates, bronchodilators, phencyclidine and ketamine. For extraction purposes, the hair samples were decontaminated using dichloromethane, ground and treated with 1 M sodium hydroxide and neutralised with hydrochloric acid and phosphate buffer and the homogenate was later extracted with hexane using liquid-liquid extraction (LLE). Following extraction from hair samples, drug-screening employed liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) analysis using dynamic multiple reaction monitoring (DYN-MRM) method using proprietary software. The screening method (for?>?200 drugs/metabolites) was calibrated with a tailored drug mixture and was validated for 20 selected drugs for this study. Using standard additions to hair sample extracts, validation was in line with FDA guidance. A Zorbax Eclipse plus C18 (2.1 mm internal diameter × 100 mm length × 1.8 μm particle size) column was used for analysis. Total instrument run time was 8 minutes with no noted matrix interferences. The LOD of compounds ranged between 0.05-0.5 pg/mg of hair. 233 human hair samples were screened using this new method and samples were confirmed positive for 20 different drugs, mainly steroids and drugs of abuse.

Conclusions

This is the first report of the application of this proprietary system to investigate the presence of drugs in human hair samples. The method is selective, sensitive and robust for the screening and confirmation of multiple drugs in a single analysis and has potential as a very useful tool for the analysis of large array of controlled substances and drugs of abuse.