Analysis of Amphetamine-Derived Designer Drugs by Gas Chromatography with Mass Spectrometry.

The 22 amphetamine-derived synthetic drugs (ADSDs), mostly cathinones, were examined by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry using two different derivatization methods with (i) heptafluorobutyric anhydride (HFBA) and (ii) pentafluorobenzoyl chloride (PFBCl). Both developed derivatization approaches were evaluated and compared for urine and serum samples. Extraction procedures proved to give satisfactory results with regard to recoveries and extract purity, even though both derivatization methods reached acceptable sensitivity for the intended use. The derivatization with PFBCl showed better results with respect to retention and response stability, thus the PFBCl method was selected for validation. Calibration curves were linear over the tested concentration range of 20-1,000 ng/mL with the R(2) values ranging from 0.994 to 0.998. Intra- and interday precisions and accuracies were within 20% for all concentrations in the linear range. The limit of detection was determined to be lower than 2 ng/mL for all 22 analytes. The method proved to be a useful analytical tool in the course of systematic toxicological analysis.

Simultaneous determination of mushroom toxins α-amanitin, ß-amanitin and muscarine in human urine by solid-phase extraction and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultra-high-resolution TOF mass spectrometry.

This paper presents a method for the simultaneous determination of α-amanitin, ß-amanitin and muscarine in human urine by solid-phase extraction (SPE) and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultra-high-resolution TOF mass spectrometry. The method can be used for a diagnostics of mushroom poisonings. Different SPE cartridges were tested for sample preparation, namely hydrophilic modified reversed-phase (Oasis HLB) and polymeric weak cation phase (Strata X-CW). The latter gave better results and therefore it was chosen for the subsequent method optimization and partial validation. In the course of validation, limits of detection, linearity, intraday and interday precisions and recoveries were evaluated. The obtained LOD values of α-amanitin and ß-amanitin were 1ng/mL and of muscarine 0.09ng/mL. The intraday and interday precisions of human urine spiked with α-amanitin (10ng/mL), ß-amanitin (10ng/mL) and muscarine (1ng/mL) ranged from 6% to 10% and from 7% to 13%, respectively. The developed method was proved to be a relevant tool for the simultaneous determination of the studied mushroom toxins in human urine after mushroom poisoning.

Determination and identification of synthetic cannabinoids and their metabolites in different matrices by modern analytical techniques - a review.

Synthetic cannabinoids have gained popularity due to their easy accessibility and psychoactive effects. Furthermore, they cannot be detected in urine by routine drug monitoring. The wide range of active ingredients in analyzed matrices hinders the development of a standard analytical method for their determination. Moreover, their possible side effects are not well known which increases the danger. This review is focused on the sample preparation and the determination of synthetic cannabinoids in different matrices (serum, urine, herbal blends, oral fluid, hair) published since 2004. The review includes separation and identification techniques, such as thin layer chromatography, gas and liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis, mostly coupled with mass spectrometry. The review also includes results by spectral methods like infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance or direct-injection mass spectrometry.

Utilization of micellar electrokinetic chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry employed volatile micellar phase in the analysis of cathinone designer drugs.

A micellar electrokinetic chromatography method with tandem mass spectrometry has been developed for the selective separation, identification and determination of twelve new designer drugs from the group of synthetic cathinones. Ammonium salt of perfluorooctanoic acid at various concentrations as a volatile background electrolyte (BGE) to create micellar phase was studied for separation of selected synthetic cathinones with direct tandem mass spectrometry without significant loss of detection sensitivity. The optimized BGE contained 100 mM perfluorooctanoic acid with 200 mM ammonium hydroxide providing acceptable resolution of studied drugs in the MEKC step. In order to minimize interferences with matrix components and to preconcentrate target analytes, solid phase extraction was introduced as a clean-up step. The method was linear in the concentration range of 10-5000 ng mL(-1) and the limits of detection were in the range of 10-78 ng mL(-1). The method was demonstrated to be specific, sensitive, and reliable for the systematic toxicological analysis of these derivatives in urine samples.

Isolation and identification of the Amanita muscaria and Amanita pantherina toxins in human urine.

OBJECTIVES: Ibotenic acid, muscimol and muscarine were recognized as responsible for psychotropic effects of A. muscaria and A. pantherina. Demand for their specific and sensitive identification and quantitation in biological material lead to effort to develop reliable analytical method, but satisfactory solution is still lacking. Presented article describes liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method suitable for isolation and identification of principal toxins of A. muscaria and A. pantherina in urine. METHODS AND RESULTS: Dedicated liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method is reported. Technique consists of an extraction of analytes on Strata X-CW and Discovery SCX SPE cartridges and separation is achieved using a Gemini C18 column (150 mm x 2.0 mm, 5 micron) and 8 mM heptafluorobutyric acid as mobile phase. Detection at m/z 159 for ibotenic acid, m/z 115 for muscimol and m/z 174 for muscarine was used. Retention times and LODs are 2.6 min and 50 ng.ml-1 for ibotenic acid, 4.6 min and 40 ng.ml-1 for muscimol and 14.2 min and 3 ng.ml-1 for muscarine. CONCLUSION: A sensitive and specific liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry assay was developed for analysis of principal toxins of A. muscaria and A. pantherina in urine. Method was found to be sufficiently sensitive and specific for analysis of urine of intoxicated patients.

Detection and determination of abused hallucinogens in biological material.

OBJECTIVES: Until recently, routine toxicological analysis of some hallucinogens in biological material posed problems which were only resolved after the introduction of modern analytic systems into toxicological laboratories. The most frequent hallucinogens in clinical and forensic toxicology can be grouped as: cannabinoids, tropane alkaloids, N,N-dimethyltryptamine derivatives and synthetic or semisynthetic hallucinogens. METHODS & RESULTS: There are several methods currently used for their analysis. Immunoassay analysis of abused hallucinogens is limited to the cannabinoids. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) is able to detect higher concentrations of 1-nor-delta- 9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid (THC-COOH), tropane alkaloids (atropine and scopolamine) and ketamine (synthetic hallucinogen) in urine but for lower concentrations and for some other substances it lacks sensitivity. A reliable solution to the demand for specific and sensitive analysis of hallucinogens in biological material is gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Thus, at present, analysis of cannabinoids, tropane alkaloids, ketamine as well as psilocin (N,N-dimethyltryptamine derivative) is well-managed. CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of GC-MS systems appears to be indispensable for satisfactory qualitative and quantitative analysis of drugs of abuse, particularly hallucinogens in biological material.