title: Rapid and simple GC-MS method for determination of psychotropic phenylalkylamine derivatives in nails using micro-pulverized extraction.
abstract: A rapid and simple gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method was developed and validated for the simultaneous detection and quantification of five psychotropic phenylalkylamines (amphetamine, methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, and norketamine) in toenails. After external decontamination, nail clippings were mechanically pulverized with a bead mill and then incubated in methanol under ultrasonication at 50°C for 1 h. The resulting solutions were evaporated to dryness, derivatized, and analyzed by GC-MS. The intra- and inter-day precisions were within 10.7% and 13.9%, respectively. The intra- and inter-day accuracies were -4.2% to 5.0% and -2.4% to 8.4%, respectively. Limits of detection and quantification for each analyte were lower than 0.024 and 0.08 ng/mg, respectively. The recoveries were in the range of 80.6-87.5%. The results indicated that the proposed method is a simple, rapid, accurate, and precise for quantification of five phenylalkylamines in nails. The method was successfully applied to the simultaneous detection and quantification of phenylalkylamines in nail samples of possible drug abusers.
authors.affiliation: Drug Analysis Laboratory, Forensic Science Division, Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Seoul, Korea. paxus@spo.go.kr
authors.forename: Jin Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae Chul
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Cheong
authors.forename: Jae Il
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ju Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: Moon Kyo
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: In
mesh_terms: D000662:Amphetamines / Q000032:analysis*; D053593:Forensic Toxicology; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D007649:Ketamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis; D057230:Limit of Detection; D016014:Linear Models; D009262:Nails / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000662:Amphetamines; D007649:Ketamine; C033419:norketamine