title: A GC-MS Method for Detection and Quantification of Cathine, Cathinone, Methcathinone and Ephedrine in Oral Fluid.
abstract: The stimulating herbal drug khat (cathine, cathinone) and its analog methcathinone are common substances of abuse in most countries. A GC-MS method was developed and validated for the detection and quantification of cathine, cathinone, methcathinone and ephedrine in oral fluid specimens. The analytes and internal standard (amphetamine-d5) were extracted from 0.5 mL oral fluids by ethyl acetate, and then the dried extracts were derivatized with heptafluorobutyric anhydride at 70°C for 30 min. The MS was used in selected ion monitoring mode. Ions monitored were m/z 117, 240 and 330 for cathine, m/z 77, 105 and 240 for cathinone, m/z 105, 210 and 254 for methcathinone, m/z 210, 254 and 344 for ephedrine and m/z 244 and 336 for amphetamine-d5 The calibration curves were linear (r(2)> 0.98) in the concentration range 20-2,000 ng/mL for all analytes. The intra- and inter-assay imprecisions were within (1.6-12.5%) and (1.5-9.5%), respectively, for all analytes. Intra-assay accuracies were between -5.9 and 6.7% for all analytes. The method was successfully applied to detect and quantify the target analytes from oral fluid specimens collected from Khat and methcathinone users.
authors.affiliation: Forensic Chemistry Department, College of Forensic Sciences, Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia khaled.masoud@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Khaled M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.affiliation: Forensic Chemistry Department, College of Forensic Sciences, Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Abtehaj H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Al-Hazmi
authors.affiliation: Forensic Chemistry Department, College of Forensic Sciences, Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Alanoud M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Alasiri
authors.affiliation: Forensic Chemistry Department, College of Forensic Sciences, Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mahmoud El-Said
authors.initials: Mel-S
authors.lastname: Ali
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000032:analysis; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000032:analysis*; D002624:Chemistry, Clinical / Q000379:methods*; D004809:Ephedrine / Q000032:analysis; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000032:analysis*; D010665:Phenylpropanolamine / Q000032:analysis; D011427:Propiophenones / Q000032:analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D011427:Propiophenones; C005331:norpseudoephedrine; D010665:Phenylpropanolamine; C047806:monomethylpropion; C023665:cathinone; D004809:Ephedrine