Simultaneous determination of psychotropic phenylalkylamine derivatives in human hair by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.
A gas chromatography/mass spectrometric (GC/MS) method was developed and validated for the determination of thirteen psychotropic phenylalkylamine derivatives (amphetamine; AP, phentermine; PT, methamphamine; MA, cathinone; Khat, methcathinone; MCAT, fenfluramine; FFA, desmethylselegiline; DSEL, 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine; MDA, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine; MDMA, 3,4-methylenedioxyethylamphetamine; MDEA, norketamine; NKT, mescaline; MES, 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine; 2CB) in human hair. Hair samples (20 mg) were washed with distilled water and acetone, cut into small fragments (<1 mm), and incubated in 0.25 M methanolic HCl under ultrasonication at 50 degrees C for 1 h. The resulting solutions were evaporated to dryness, derivatized using trifluoroacetic anhydride (TFAA) at 70 degrees C for 30 min, and analyzed by GC/MS. The linear ranges were 0.02-25.0 ng/mg for AP, PT, Khat, FFA, DSEL, MDMA, and 2CB; 0.05-25.0 ng/mg for MA, MCAT, and MES; 0.05-12.5 ng/mg for MDA; and 0.1-25.0 ng/mg for MDEA and NKT, with good correlation coefficients (r(2) > 0.9985). The intra-day, inter-day, and inter-person precisions were within 12.7%, 14.8%, and 16.8%, respectively. The intra-day, inter-day, and inter-person accuracies were between -10.7 and 13.4%, -12.7 and 11.6%, and -15.3 and 11.9%, respectively. The limits of quantifications (LOQs) for each compound were lower than 0.08 ng/mg. The recoveries were in the range of 76.7-95.6%. The method proved to be suitable for the simultaneous qualification and quantification of phenylalkylamine derivatives in hair specimens.
Kim
Jin Young
JY
Drug Analysis Laboratory, Forensic Science Division, Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Seocho-ggu, Seoul, Korea. paxus@spo.go.kr
Jung
Kyu Sung
KS
Kim
Min Kyoung
MK
Lee
Jae Il
JI
In
Moon Kyo
MK
D000328:Adult; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000032:analysis*; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D008297:Male; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000032:analysis*; D011786:Quality Control; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012996:Solutions; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection
D013287:Illicit Drugs; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D012996:Solutions