title: A rapid high-performance thin-layer chromatographic urine screen for laxative abuse.
abstract: Laxative abuse, if unrecognized, can lead to unnecessary and costly investigations. The stimulants and cathartics are the most commonly abused laxatives and have the potential for causing the most long-term damage. We have optimized a solid-phase extraction coupled with high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) to provide rapid, simple, and sensitive detection of phenolphthalein, danthron, rhein, aloin, and bisacodyl and its metabolites in urine. Positive screens have revealed laxative abuse in 3 of 42 samples from patients presenting with diarrhea of unknown origin.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biochemistry, Ottawa Civic Hospital, Ont, Canada.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Perkins
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Livesey
mesh_terms: D000880:Anthraquinones / Q000652:urine; D001726:Bisacodyl / Q000652:urine; D002400:Cathartics / Q000032:analysis*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004642:Emodin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020113:Phenolphthalein; D010635:Phenolphthaleins / Q000032:analysis; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D000880:Anthraquinones; D002400:Cathartics; D010635:Phenolphthaleins; D001726:Bisacodyl; D020113:Phenolphthalein; D004642:Emodin; C006457:alloin; C020491:rhein; C004315:danthron