title: Detecting ketamine in beverage residues: Application in date rape detection.
abstract: Ketamine can be used to facilitate date-rape when unknowingly spiked into a victim's beverage. If a biological sample is not available from the victim, the beverage container might be the only remaining source of forensic evidence. We present a rapid, simple analysis method for the detection of ketamine in wet or dry beverage residues based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Wet residues consist of the final few drops (<1 ml) in a container while dry residues are the remains once all liquid has evaporated. By using LC-MS, which readily handles aqueous samples, often no derivatization or sample extraction is needed, thus reducing analysis time and lab technician involvement. Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) provides an enhancement in both selectivity and sensitivity. We have studied a range of beverages and determined limits of detection between 1.2 × 10-3 and 1.3 × 10-4 mg/ml, compared to 0.21-0.85 mg/ml used in most date-rape scenarios. This paper represents the first published report of using LC-MS/MS for the analysis of beverage residues for the presence of a date-rape drug. This method could replace the current gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) methods and provide a faster, more selective method for the analysis of date-rape drugs, requiring virtually no sample preparation.
authors: St Olaf College - Chemistry, Northfield, MN 55057, USA.
authors: Jessica A
authors: JA
authors: Albright
authors: Sarah A
authors: SA
authors: Stevens
authors: Douglas J
authors: DJ
authors: Beussman
mesh_terms: D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001628:Beverages / Q000032:analysis*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007649:Ketamine / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D057230:Limit of Detection; D011902:Rape / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000379:methods*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative; D007649:Ketamine