Column-switching high-performance liquid chromatographic detection of pholcodine and its metabolites in urine with fluorescence and electrochemical detection.
A sensitive and selective method for the detection of pholcodine and its metabolite morphine in urine using high-performance liquid chromatography is described. It involves on-line clean-up of urine on a trace enrichment column packed with a polymeric strong cation-exchange material. Pholcodine and its metabolites were separated on two analytical columns with different selectivities. Pholcodine was detected by a fluorescence detector and morphine was detected electrochemically. One system, based on reversed-phase chromatography, applied a polystyrene-divinylbenzene column and gradient elution. The other system was based on normal-phase chromatography with a silica column and isocratic elution. Morphine was confirmed to be a metabolite of pholcodine by reversed-phase chromatography and electrochemical detection. Two unidentified metabolites of pholcodine were separated from pholcodine by normal-phase chromatography and detected by fluorescence detection.
Johansen
M
M
Institute of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, Norway.
Tønnesen
F
F
Rasmussen
K E
KE
D000996:Antitussive Agents / Q000652:urine*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003061:Codeine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000652:urine; D004563:Electrochemistry; D006801:Humans; D009020:Morphine / Q000652:urine*; D009025:Morpholines / Q000652:urine*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
D000996:Antitussive Agents; D009025:Morpholines; D009020:Morphine; C008872:pholcodine; D003061:Codeine