Determination of zaleplon and zolpidem by liquid chromatography-turbo-ionspray mass spectrometry: application to forensic cases.
Zolpidem and zaleplon are two short-acting hypnotic agents used in Europe and in the USA. An atmospheric pressure ionisation liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (Sciex API 150 EX) method was developed for the determination of zolpidem and zaleplon in whole blood. After single-step liquid-liquid extraction, the hypnotics were separated by gradient-elution with an ammonium formate buffer/acetonitrile eluent on an Inertsil ODS-3 column. Methaqualone was used as internal standard. The recovery was higher than 70% for both hypnotics and the internal standard. The best fit for the calibration curve was achieved, between 1 and 250 ng/ml, with 1/x quadratic regression. Coefficients of intra- and inter-assay variation calculated at 5, 25 and 100 ng/ml were less than 10%. The method was successfully applied to forensic cases.
Laboratoire de Toxicologie et de Chimie Forensiques, Institut Universitaire de Médecine Légale, rue du Bugnon 21, CH-1005, Lausanne, Switzerland. christian.giroud@inst.hospvd.ch
Christian
C
Giroud
Marc
M
Augsburger
Annick
A
Menetrey
Patrice
P
Mangin
D000081:Acetamides / Q000097:blood*; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000097:blood*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D011725:Pyridines / Q000097:blood*; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000097:blood*; D012015:Reference Standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D000077334:Zolpidem
D000081:Acetamides; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D011725:Pyridines; D011743:Pyrimidines; D000077334:Zolpidem; C085665:zaleplon