title: Testing for kavain in human hair using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.
abstract: A sensitive, specific and reproducible method for the quantitative determination of kavain in human hair has been developed. The sample preparation involved a decontamination step of the hair with methylene chloride. The hair sample (about 50 mg) was incubated in 1 ml of methanol for 1 h, in an ultrasonic bath, in presence of 20 ng of methaqualone-d7 used as internal standard. The methanolic solution was evaporated to dryness, and the residue reconstituted by adding 30 microl of methanol. A 2 microl aliquot of the extract was injected onto the column (Optima5-MS capillary column, 5% phenyl-95% methylsiloxane, 30 m x 0.25 mm i.d. x 0.25 mm film thickness) of a Hewlett-Packard (Palo Alto, CA) gas chromatograph (5890). Kavain was detected by its parent ion at m/z 230 and daughter ions at m/z 111 and 202 through a Finnigan TSQ 700 MS/MS system. The assay was capable of detecting 30 pg/mg of kavain (limit of detection (LOD)). Linearity was observed for kavain concentrations ranging from 100 to 2000 pg/mg with a correlation coefficient of 0.998. Intra-day precision at 400 pg/mg was 13.7%. The analysis of a segment of hair, obtained from an occasional consumer, revealed the presence of kavain at the concentration of 418 pg/mg. A higher concentration (1708 pg/mg) was detected in the corresponding pubic hair.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Médecine Légale, 11 rue Humann, F-67000 Strasbourg, France. marion.villain@iml-ulp.u-strasbg.fr
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Villain
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cirimele
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tracqui
authors.forename: F X
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Ricaut
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ludes
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kintz
mesh_terms: D002138:Calibration; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D011753:Pyrones / Q000032:analysis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D011753:Pyrones; C011889:kavain