Determination of parathion in biological fluids by means of direct solid-phase microextraction

A new and simple procedure for the determination of parathion in human whole blood and urine using direct immersion (DI) solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is presented. This technique was developed using only 100 μL of sample, and ethion was used as internal standard (IS). A 65-μm Carbowax/divinylbenzene (CW/DVB) SPME fibre was selected for sampling, and the main parameters affecting the SPME process such as extraction temperature, adsorption and desorption time, salt addition, agitation and pH effect were optimized to enhance the sensitivity of the method. This optimization was also performed to allow the qualitative determination of parathion’s main metabolite, paraoxon, in blood. The limits of detection and quantitation for parathion were 3 and 10 ng/mL for urine and 25 and 50 ng/mL for blood, respectively. For paraoxon, the limit of detection was 50 ng/mL in blood. The method showed linearity between the LOQ and 50 μg/mL for both matrices, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.9954 to 0.9999. Precision and accuracy were in conformity with the criteria normally accepted in bioanalytical method validation. The mean absolute recoveries were 35.1% for urine and 6.7% for blood. Other parameters such as dilution of sample and stability were also validated. Its simplicity and the fact that only 100 μL of sample is required to accomplish the analysis make this method useful in forensic toxicology laboratories to determine this compound in intoxications, and it can be considered an alternative to other methods normally used for the determination of this compound in biological media.     

Application of high performance capillary electrophoresis on toxic alkaloids analysis

We employed CE to identify mixtures of the toxic alkaloids lappaconitine, bullatine A, atropine sulfate, atropine methobromide, scopolamine hydrobromide, anisodamine hydrobromide, brucine, strychnine, quinine sulfate, and chloroquine in human blood and urine, using procaine hydrochloride as an internal standard. The separation employed a fused-silica capillary of 75 microm id x 60 cm length (effective length: 50.2 cm) and a buffer containing 100 mM phosphate and 5% ACN (pH 4.0). The sample was injected in a pressure mode and the separation was performed at a voltage of 16 kV and a temperature of 25 degrees C. The compounds were detected by UV absorbance at wavelengths of 195 and 235 nm. All the ten alkaloids were separated within 16 min. The method was validated with regard to precision (RSD), accuracy, sensitivity, linear range, LOD, and LOQ. In blood and urine samples, the detection limits were 5-40 ng/mL and linear calibration curves were obtained over the range of 0.02-10 microg/mL. The precision of intra- and interday measurements was less than 15%. Electrophoretic peaks could be identified either by the relative migration time or by their UV spectrum.     

A novel fast method for aqueous derivatization of THC,OH‐THC and THC‐COOH in human whole blood and urine samples for routine forensic analyses

A novel aqueous in situ derivatization procedure with propyl chloroformate (PCF) for the simultaneous, quantitative analysis of Δ⁹‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), 11‐hydroxy‐Δ⁹‐tetrahydrocannabinol (OH‐THC) and 11‐nor‐Δ⁹‐tetrahydrocannabinol‐carboxylic acid (THC‐COOH) in human blood and urine is proposed. Unlike current methods based on the silylating agent [N,O‐bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide] added in an anhydrous environment, this new proposed method allows the addition of the derivatizing agent (propyl chloroformate, PCF) directly to the deproteinized blood and recovery of the derivatives by liquid–liquid extraction. This novel method can be also used for hydrolyzed urine samples. It is faster than the traditional method involving a derivatization with trimethyloxonium tetrafluoroborate. The analytes are separated, detected and quantified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry in selected ion monitoring mode (SIM). The method was validated in terms of selectivity, capacity of identification, limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ), carryover, linearity, intra‐assay precision, inter‐assay precision and accuracy. The LOD and LOQ in hydrolyzed urine were 0.5 and 1.3 ng/mL for THC and 1.2 and 2.6 ng/mL for THC‐COOH, respectively. In blood, the LOD and LOQ were 0.2 and 0.5 ng/mL for THC, 0.2 and 0.6 ng/mL for OH‐THC, and 0.9 and 2.4 ng/mL for THC‐COOH, respectively. This method was applied to 35 urine samples and 50 blood samples resulting to be equivalent to the previously used ones with the advantage of a simpler method and faster sample processing time. We believe that this method will be a more convenient option for the routine analysis of cannabinoids in toxicological and forensic laboratories.     

Biomarkers of alcohol abuse in racehorses by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

A rapid and sensitive method was developed for the screening, quantification and confirmation of ethyl glucuronide (EG) and ethyl sulfate (ES) as biomarkers for alcohol administration to racehorses using liquid chromatography coupled on-line with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry. Urine sample aliquots (0.1 mL) were pre-treated by protein precipitation. Separation of EG and ES was achieved on an Ultra PFP column. Isocratic elution with a flush step was performed using 0.1% formic acid in water (A) and 0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile (B). Analysis was performed by negative electrospray ionization in multiple reaction monitoring mode. The retention times for EG and ES were 1.7 +/- 0.30 and 3.4 +/- 0.30 min, respectively. The internal standard used was d(5)-ethyl glucuronide with a retention time of 1.7 +/- 0.30 min. The entire separation was completed in <5 min. The limit of detection (LOD) and of quantification (LOQ) for both analytes were 100 ng/mL (S/N > or =3) and 500 ng/mL, respectively. The limit of confirmations (LOC) for EG and ES were 500 ng/mL and 1.0 microg/mL, respectively. The assay was linear over a concentration range of 0.5-100 microg/mL (r(2) > 0.995). Intra- and inter-day accuracy and precision were less than 15%. The analytes were stable in urine for 24 h at room temperature, 10 days at 4 degrees C and 21 days at -20 degrees C and -70 degrees C. Ion suppression or enhancement due to matrix effect was negligible. The measurement uncertainty was <14% for EG and <25% for ES. This method was successfully used for the quantification of EG and ES in urine samples following alcohol administration to research horses and for screening and confirmation of EG and ES in urine samples obtained from racehorses post-competition. The method is simple, rapid, inexpensive, and reliably reproducible.     

Simultaneous determination of phenytoin and dextromethorphan in urine by solid-phase extraction and HPLC-DAD

A rapid and simple high-performance liquid chromatographic method with photodiode array detection was developed for the separation and the simultaneous determination of phenytoin and dextromethorphan in human urine. Analysis was performed in less than 4.5 min in isocratic mode on a reversed-phase C18 column (5 microm; 150 x 4.6 mm) using a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile-buffer phosphate 0.01 M (60:40, v/v) adjusted to pH 6.0, at 1 mL/min flow rate and UV absorbance at 210 nm. The elution order of analytes was dextromethorphan (DXM), Internal Standard (IS), and phenytoin (PHT). Calibration curves were linear in the 7.5-25 microg/mL range for PHT and in the 10-30 microg/mL range for DXM. Spike recoveries for urine samples prepared at three spiking levels ranged from 97.8 to 102.3% for PHT and from 94.8 to 100.4% for DXM. The detection limit (LOD) values ranged from 0.08 microg/mL for PHT to 0.5 microg/mL for DXM. The quantitation limit (LOQ) values ranged from 0.3 microg/mL for PHT to 1.6 microg/mL for DXM. The sample preparation method involves a rapid and simple procedure based on solid-phase extraction using a C18 reversed-phase column. Validation of the optimised method was carried out according to the ICH guidelines. The method developed in this study allows the reliable simultaneous analysis of PHT and DXM, drugs that were never quantified together in previously reported analytical methods. The described method has the advantage of being rapid and easy and it could be applied in therapeutic monitoring of these drugs in human urine of epileptic patients.     

Determination of metoprolol in human plasma and urine by high‐performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

A simple, specific and sensitive HPLC method has been developed for the determination of metoprolol in human plasma and urine. Separation of metoprolol and atenolol (internal standard) was achieved on an Ace C₁₈ column (5 μm, 250 mm×4.6 mm id) using fluorescence detection with λ_ex=276 nm and λ_em=296 nm. The mobile phase consists of methanol–water (50:50, v/v) containing 0.1% TFA. The analysis was performed in less than 10 min with a flow rate of 1 mL/min. The assay was linear over the concentration range of 3 – 200 and 5 – 300 ng/mL for plasma and urine, respectively. The LOD were 1.0 and 1.5 ng/mL for plasma and urine, respectively. The LOQ were 3.0 and 5.0 ng/mL for plasma and urine, respectively. The extraction recoveries were found to be 95.6 ± 1.53 and 96.4 ± 1.75% for plasma and urine, respectively. Also, the method was successfully applied to three patients with hypertension who had been given an oral tablet of 100 mg metoprolol.     

Simultaneous determination of six toxic alkaloids in human plasma and urine using capillary zone electrophoresis coupled to time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry

A novel capillary zone electrophoresis separation coupled to electro spray ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry method was developed for the simultaneous analysis of six toxic alkaloids: brucine, strychnine, atropine sulfate, anisodamine hydrobromide, scopolamine hydrobromide and anisodine hydrobromide in human plasma and urine. To obtain optimal sensitivity, a solid‐phase extraction method using Oasis MCX cartridges (1 mL, 30 mg; Waters, USA) for the pretreatment of samples was used. All compounds were separated by capillary zone electrophoresis at 25 kV within 12 min in an uncoated fused‐silica capillary of 75 μm id × 100 cm and were detected by time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. This method was validated with regard to precision, accuracy, sensitivity, linear range, limit of detection (LOD), and limit of quantification (LOQ). In the plasma and urine samples, the linear calibration curves were obtained over the range of 0.50–100 ng/mL. The LOD and LOQ were 0.2–0.5 ng/mL and 0.5–1.0 ng/mL, respectively. The intra‐ and interday precision was better than 12% and 13%, respectively. Electrophoretic peaks could be identified by mass analysis.     

Monitoring of biogenic amines and drugs of various therapeutic groups in urine samples with use of HPLC

A high‐performance liquid chromatography method for simultaneous separation and determination of biogenic amines [dopamine, epinephrine, serotonin and its six metabolites (normetanephrine, metanephrine, 3,4‐dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, 4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxyphenylglycol, homovanilic acid and 5‐hydroxyindoloacetic acid)] with drugs from different therapeutically groups [analgesics (paracetamol, metamizol), diuretics (furosemide) and antibiotics (cefazolin, fluconazole)] was developed. A chromatographic column with pre‐column with octadecylsilane phase (C_18e) and two detectors – diode array serial connected and fluorescence – was used. Gradient elution of mixture of acetate buffer (pH 4.66) and methanol as a mobile phase was applied. The limit of detection (LOD) of 8–10 ng/mL and limit of quantitation (LOQ) of 24–30 ng/mL for biogenic amines, as well as the LOD of 50–100 ng/mL and the LOQ of 150–300 ng/mL for drugs, were determined. The applied sample preparation method allowed recoveries of 93% for the biogenic amines and 92% for the drugs to be achieved. The developed procedure has been applied to simultaneous determination of the examined compounds in urine samples and could be used in clinical analysis. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Rapid method for the determination of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin in Gochujang using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography

A sensitive and specific heating block method coupled with ultra-HPLC (u-HPLC) was developed for the analysis of capsaicin in Gochujang and validated by comparing with a conventional HPLC (AOAC Method 995.03). The method validation parameters yielded good results, including linearity, precision, accuracy, and recovery. The u-HPLC separation was performed on a reversed C18 column (50 x 2 mm id, particle size 2 microm), followed by fluorescence detection (excitation 280 nm, emission 325 nm). Methanol was used as the extracting solvent, and the amount of sample taken was approximately 0.2 g; the optimum amount of extraction solvent and extraction time were 15 mL and 1 h, respectively. The recovery of capsaicin in Gochujang was more than 93%, and the LOD and LOQ of the u-HPLC analysis were 0.05 and 0.16 microg/g for capsaicin and 0.05 and 0.16 microg/g for dihydrocapsaicin. The calibration graphs for capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin were linear from 0.2 to 10.0 microg/mL for u-HPLC. The interday and intraday precisions (RSD values) were < 6.27%.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of mangiferin in rat plasma and urine

A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography assay for mangiferin in rat plasma and urine was developed. Rutin was employed as an internal standard. The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-water (16:84, v/v) containing 3% acetic acid at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. Detection was at 257 and 365 nm for mangiferin in plasma and urine, respectively. The limit of quantitation (LOQ) of mangiferin was 0.6 microg/mL in plasma, and 0.48 microg/mL in urine. The standard curve was linear from 0.6 to 24 microg/mL in plasma, and 0.48 to 24 microg/mL in urine, both intra- and inter-day precision of the mangiferin were determined and their RSD did not exceed 10%. The method provides a technique for rapid analysis of mangiferin in rat plasma and urine, which can be used in pharmacokinetic studies.     

Simple-QuEChERS Nano结合GC-MS/MS同时检测全血中的97种农药

建立了Simple-QuEChERS Nano结合气相色谱一串联质谱(GC-MS/MS)同时检测血液中97种农药的方法,并对基质条件、提取溶剂以及净化材料进行了优化.0.5 mL血液样品经3倍水稀释混匀,使用2.0 mL乙酸乙酯提取后振荡、离心,过Simple-QuEChERS Nano净化柱及0.22μm有机微孔滤膜...     

Robust and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic-UV detection technique for the determination of tigecycline in rabbit plasma

An isocratic HPLC method with detection at 248 nm was developed and fully validated for the determination of tigecycline in rabbit plasma. Minocycline was used as an internal standard. A Hypersil BDS RP-C18 column (250 x 4.6 mm, 5 microm particle size) was used with the mobile phase phosphate buffer (pH 7.10, 0.070 M)-acetonitrile (76 + 24, v/v) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The elution time of tigecycline and minocycline was approximately 8.1 and 9.9 min, respectively. Calibration curves of tigecycline were linear in the concentration range of 0.021-3.15 microg/mL in plasma. The LOD and LOQ in plasma were estimated as 7 and 21 ng/mL, respectively. The intraday and interday precision values of the method were in the range of 5.0-7.1 and 5.6-9.1%, while the corresponding accuracy values were in the ranges of 92.8-111.1 and 97.6-102.3%, respectively. At the LOQ, the intraday precision was 18.7%, while intraday and interday accuracy values were 97.3 and 98.0%, respectively. Robustness of the proposed method was studied using a Plackett-Burman experimental design. A pharmacokinetic profile is presented for confirmation of the applicability of the method to pharmacokinetic studies.     

Therapeutic deferoxamine and deferiprone monitoring in β‐thalassemia patients’ plasma by field‐amplified sample injection and sweeping in capillary electrophoresis

One CE method was established for detecting deferoxamine (DFO) and deferiprone (DFR) in plasma. For β‐thalassemia patients, DFO and DFR are major medicines to treat the iron overload caused by blood transfusion. Field‐amplified sample injection combined with sweeping was used for sensitivity enhancement in CE. This method was performed on an uncoated fused‐silica capillary. After liquid–liquid extraction, the plasma samples were electrokinetically injected into capillary at +10 kV for 180 s. The phosphate buffer (100 mM) containing 50 mM triethanolamine was used as the BGE (pH 6.6). Separation buffer was phosphate buffer (100 mM, pH 3.0) containing 150 mM SDS. This method showed good linearity (r ≥ 0.9960). Precision and accuracy were evaluated by the results of RSD and relative error of intrabatch and interbatch analyses, and all of the absolute values were less than 6.12%. The LODs (S/N = 3) were 200 ng/mL for DFO, and 25 ng/mL for DFR. The LOQ (S/N = 10) of DFO and DFR were 600 and 75 ng/mL, respectively. This method was applied for clinical applications of five β‐thalassemia patients.     

Direct determination of chlorpyrifos and its main metabolite 3,5, 6-trichloro-2-pyridinol in human serum and urine by coupled-column liquid chromatography/electrospray-tandem mass spectrometry

A rapid and sensitive automated coupled-column liquid chromatography/electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC/LC/ES-MS/MS) method has been developed for the quantitation of chlorpyrifos and 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP) in both human serum and urine. Human serum was first protein precipitated with acetonitrile, while urine was directly injected into the coupled-column system. A 10 microL aliquot was then analyzed using as first separation column a Discovery C18 5 microm 50 x 2.1 mm; the fraction containing the analyte was transferred on-line to the second column consisting of a ABZ+ 5 microm 100 x 2.1 mm, which was connected to the electrospray source (Z-spray) of a Quattro LC triple-quadrupole instrument. Chlorpyrifos was detected in positive ion mode using four multi reaction monitoring (MRM) transitions while TCP was measured in negative ion mode using three pseudo-MRM transitions. The clean-up performed by the coupled-column approach avoids the use of an internal standard for the correct quantitation of both analytes, and the highly automated procedure renders a sample throughput of more than 100 samples per day. Both compounds can be determined using the same set-up, the only difference in the procedure being the composition of the first mobile phase. The method has proved to be fast, reliable and sensitive, yielding calibration curves for both analytes with correlation coefficients greater than 0.9995. The repeatability and reproducibility at 5 and 50 ng/mL was lower than 8%. The accuracy and precision were evaluated by means of recovery experiments from fortified serum (5-50 ng/mL) and urine (1-10 ng/mL) samples, obtaining satisfactory recoveries for both compounds (87-113% in serum, and 98-109% in urine), with coefficients of variation (CVs) less than 10%. The detection limits were similar for chlorpyrifos and metabolite: 1.5 ng/mL in serum, and 0.5 ng/mL in urine, where no sample handling took place. The validated procedures provide excellent tools for the specific assessment of occupational exposure to the organophosphorus pesticide chlorpyrifos, throughout the analysis of both human serum and urine, and it is more selective and sensitive than the current assay based on the measurement of the decrease in the cholinesterase activity.     

Stacking and quantitative analysis of lovastatin in urine samples by the transient moving chemical reaction boundary method in capillary electrophoresis

A simple, sensitive, and useful concentration method for lovastatin (Lvt) in urine has been developed based on the transient moving chemical reaction boundary method (tMCRBM) in capillary electrophoresis. The MCRB is formed with acidic sample buffer (Gly-HCl) and alkaline running buffer (Gly-NaOH). The following optimal conditions were determined for stacking and separation: electrophoretic buffer of 100 mM Gly- NaOH (pH 11.52), sample buffer of 20 mM Gly-HCl (pH 4.93), fused-silica capillary of 76 cm × 75-μm i.d (67 cm from detector), sample injection at 14 mbar for 3 min. A 21- to 26-fold increase in peak height was achieved for detection of Lvt in urine under the optimal conditions compared with normal capillary zone electrophoresis. By combining the sample pretreatment procedure with the stacking method, the sensitivity of Lvt in urine was increased by 105- to 130-fold. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) for Lvt in urine were decreased to 8.8 ng/mL and 29.2 ng/mL, respectively. The intra-day and inter-day precision values (expressed as RSD) were 2.23–3.61% and 4.03–5.05%, respectively. The recoveries of the analyte at three concentration levels changed from 82.65 to 100.49%.     

Determination of carbamazepine and its impurities iminostilbene and iminodibenzyl in solid dosage form by column high-performance liquid chromatography

An accurate and precise RP-HPLC method was developed and validated for the determination of carbamazepine and its impurities iminostilbene and iminodibenzyl in a tablet formulation with fluphenazine as an internal standard. Buffer-methanol (50 + 50, v/v) was used as the mobile phase. During validation, specificity, linearity, precision, accuracy, LOD, LOQ, and robustness of the method were tested. The method was proven to be specific against placebo interference. Linearity was evaluated over the concentration range of 100-500, 0.05-0.25, and 0.1-0.5 microg/mL, and the r values were 0.9994, 0.9997, and 0.9979 for carbamazepine, iminostilbene, and iminodibenzyl, respectively. Intraday precision of the method was good, and RSD was below 2% for all analytes. The accuracy of the method ranged from 100.69 to 102.10, 99.76 to 102.66, and 99.26 to 100.08% for carbamazepine, iminostilbene, and iminodibenzyl, respectively. LOD was 0.0125, 0.025, and 0.05 microg/mL and LOQ was 0.05, 0.05, and 0.1 microg/mL for carbamazepine, iminostilbene, and iminodibenzyl, respectiviely. Robustness of the method was proven by using a chemometric approach. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of commercially available carbamazepine tablets and showed good repeatability, with RSD below 2%.     

Determination of bisphenol A and 10 alkylphenols in serum using SDS micelle capillary electrophoresis with gamma-cyclodextrin.

A new micelle capillary electrophoresis based on cyclodextrin micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) for the determination of bisphenol A and 10 alkylphenols in rat serum is reported. Several surfactants and dextrins were studied. Bisphenol A and alkylphenols were separated using a 50 microm x 50 cm capillary with 20 mM borate phosphate buffer (pH 8.0) containing 20 mM sodium dodecylsulfate and 5 mM gamma-cyclodextrin as carrier. The method could determine 0.6-2000 microg/mL of phenols in 100 microL serum by photometric detection at 214 nm. Using 2.0 mL serum, 1.0 ng/mL of phenols could be determined. The relative standards deviations were 6.3-7.7% at 10 microg/mL in serum. The recoveries were 91.8-93.0% with 10 microg/mL serum samples.     

Determination of levodopa and biogenic amines in urine samples using high-performance liquid chromatography

A chromatographic system is developed for the separation and determination of levodopa, biogenic amines, and their metabolites from the catecholamines group: dopamine (DA), epinephrine (E), normetanephrine (NMN), metanephrine (MN), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOMA), 3-metoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl-glycol (MHPG), and homovanillic acid (HVA); and indoloamines group: serotonin (5HT) and 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (5HIAA) in urine. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) are determined for all compounds with signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 3 and 10, respectively. LOD 10 (ng/mL) and LOQ 30 (ng/mL) are determined for L-DOPA, DOMA, E, NMN, DA, MN, and MHPG, as well as LOD 8 (ng/mL) and LOQ 24 (ng/mL) for HVA, 5HT, and 5HIAA. A fluorescence detector is used. Gradient elution with acetate buffer (pH=4.66) with methanol is applied. In urine samples from patients treated with levodopa, the following concentrations (microg/mL) of analytes are determined: L-DOPA 3.73-46.80, DOMA 1.43-28.43, E 0.83-13.57, NMN 2.58-8.81, DA 24.07-62.11, MN 0.89-66.20, MHPG 6.72-63.64, 5HT 22.96-95.27, 5HIAA 1.45-14.77, and HVA 0.21-15.07.     

Analysis of alendronate in human urine and plasma by magnetic solid-phase extraction and capillary electrophoresis with fluorescence detection

A simple, rapid and sensitive CE-fluorescence (FL) detection method for the analysis of alendronate (ALEN), a bisphosphonate drug, has been developed. Using a buffer solution of 20 mM sodium phosphate (pH 10.0) and a voltage of 24 kV, separation of ALEN in a 55-cm length (35-cm effective length) capillary was achieved in 5 min. FL detection of ALEN was performed via pre-column derivatization with 2,3-naphthalene dicarbox-yaldehyde (NDA). Linear correlation (r=0.9981, n=6) between FL intensity and analyte concentration was obtained in the range of 7-200 ng/mL ALEN. The developed CE-FL method was applied to the analysis of ALEN in human urine and plasma samples. In order to eliminate the interfering matrix components, SPE using magnetic Fe(3) O(4) @Al(2) O(3) nanoparticles as solid sorbents was employed to clean the biological fluids before CE-FL analysis. The linear ranges of ALEN in urine and plasma were 5-100 ng/mL (r = 0.9982, n = 7) and 5-70 ng/mL (r = 0.9954, n = 7), respectively. The LOD and LOQ in both urine and plasma samples were 1.5 and 5 ng/mL ALEN, respectively. Total analysis time including sample pre-treatment and CE separation was less than 1.5 h.     

Direct and sensitive analysis of methamphetamine, ketamine, morphine and codeine in human urine by cation-selective exhaustive injection and sweeping micellar electrokinetic chromatography

Cation-selective exhaustive injection and sweeping micellar electrokinetic chromatography (CSEI-Sweep-MEKC) was directly used to test some abuse drugs in human urine, including morphine (M), codeine (C), ketamine (K) and methamphetamine (MA). First, phosphate buffer (50 mM, pH 2.5) containing 30% methanol was filled into uncoated fused silica capillary (40 cm, 50 microm I.D.), then high conductivity buffer (100 mM phosphate, 6.9 kPa for 99.9 s) was followed. Electrokinetic injection (10 kV, 500 s) was used to load samples and to enhance sensitivity. The stacking step and separation were performed at -20 kV and 200 nm using phosphate buffer (25 mM, pH 2.5) containing 20% methanol and 100 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate. Using CSEI-Sweep-MEKC, the analytes could be simultaneously analyzed and have a detection limit down to ppb level. It was unnecessary to have sample pretreatments. During method validation, calibration plots were linear (r>or=0.9982) over a range of 150-3,000 ng/mL for M and C, 250-5,000 n g/mL for MA, and 50-1,000 ng/mL for K. The limits of detection were 15 ng/mL for M and C, and 5 ng/mL for MA and K (S/N=3, sampling 500 s at 10 kV). Comparing with capillary zone electrophoresis, the results indicated that this stacking method could increase 6,000-fold sensitivity for analysis of MA. Our method was applied for analysis of 28 real urine samples. The results showed good coincidence with immunoassay and GC-MS. This method was feasible for application to detect trace levels of abused drugs in forensic analysis.