title: Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric detection of anhydroecgonine methyl ester (methylecgonidine) in human serum as evidence of recent smoking of crack.
abstract: The discrimination between smoking of crack and other routes of cocaine application has forensic implications. The pyrolysis product anhydroecgonine methyl ester (AEME, methylecgonidine) has been found to be a marker for smoked cocaine. An improved method for the determination of AEME in serum was developed, consisting of mixed phase solid-phase extraction and GC-MS. Special care was taken for the volatility of AEME and tert.-butyldimethylsilylation was used for derivatization. Thus AEME could be determined for the first time in 13 serum samples from living subjects. The concentrations found were in a range of 3 to 34 ng/ml, a correlation with the storage time of the samples or with benzoylecgonine concentrations could not be found.
authors.affiliation: Zentrum der Rechtsmedizin, University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt/Main, Germany. toennes@em.uni-frankfurt.de
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Toennes
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Fandiño
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kauert
mesh_terms: D000081:Acetamides; D016477:Artifacts; D003042:Cocaine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D016578:Crack Cocaine; D005463:Fluoroacetates; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D017646:Organosilicon Compounds; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012907:Smoking
chemical_list: D000081:Acetamides; D016578:Crack Cocaine; D005463:Fluoroacetates; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D017646:Organosilicon Compounds; C068464:anhydroecgonine methyl ester; C059151:N-methyl-N-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide; D003042:Cocaine