Application of a validated high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry assay to the analysis of m- and p-hydroxybenzoylecgonine in meconium.
A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-mass spectrometry (MS) assay, already validated for opiates and cocaine in meconium, has been re-applied for determination of m- and p-hydroxybenzoylecgonine, using nalorphine as the internal standard. Methodology included an initial extraction from the matrix by methanol and then a solid-phase extraction (SPE). A reversed-phase chromatography was used with a gradient of 1% acetic acid-acetonitrile coupled to atmospheric pressure ionization electrospray-mass spectrometry single ion monitoring mode. This method, validated in the range 0.005-1.00 microg analytes/g meconium, proved useful to identify and quantify these two metabolites in meconium samples, already tested for the presence of cocaine, benzoylecgonine and cocaethylene. A positivity of range of concentrations varied between 0.007 and 0.338 microg/g, confirming the importance of these two hydroxylated derivatives to monitor fetal exposure to cocaine.
Pichini
S
S
Drug Research and Evaluation Department, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy. pichini@iss.it
Marchei
E
E
Pacifici
R
R
Pellegrini
M
M
Lozano
Jaime
J
García-Algar
O
O
D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008470:Meconium / Q000737:chemistry*; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods*
C085009:3-hydroxybenzoylecgonine; D003042:Cocaine