title: Method for quantification of morphine and its 3- and 6- glucuronides, codeine, codeine glucuronide and 6-monoacetylmorphine in human blood by liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry for routine analysis in forensic toxicology.
abstract: Simultaneous determination of opiates and their glucuronides in body fluids has a great practical interest in the forensic assessment of heroin intoxication. A selective and sensitive method for quantification of morphine and its 3- and 6-glucuronides, codeine, codeine glucuronide and 6-monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM) based on liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry is described. The drugs were analysed in human autopsy whole blood after solid-phase extraction on a C8 cartridge. The separation was performed on an ODS column in acetonitrile (analysis time 15 min). For the quantitative analysis, deuterated analogues of each compound were used as internal standards. Selected-ion monitoring was applied where the molecular ion was chosen for quantification. The limits of quantification were 0.5 ng/ml for morphine and 6-MAM and 1 ng/ml for the 6-glucuronide of morphine, codeine-6-glucuronide and codeine and 5 ng/ml for the 3-glucuronide of morphine.
authors.affiliation: Institut Universitaire de Médecine Légale, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dienes-Nagy
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rivier
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giroud
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Augsburger
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mangin
mesh_terms: D002138:Calibration; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D003061:Codeine / Q000097:blood* / Q000633:toxicity; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D020719:Glucuronides / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D009020:Morphine / Q000097:blood* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D020719:Glucuronides; D009020:Morphine; D003061:Codeine