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Makhdoom HS, Afzal S, Sultana K, Shah SNH, Mujahid M, Hassan ZU, Munir F, Jahan F, Abbas Z, Abid AI, Khan NUH. SPE-UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS Analysis of Cocaine and Its Metabolites in Conventional and Alternative Biological Specimens: Application to Real Samples. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:23355-23363. [PMID: 38854579 PMCID: PMC11154955 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c09669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
An increase in cocaine abuse has been observed globally since the past decade. Cocaine is among the commonly abused stimulants used for recreational purposes. In this study, the SPE-UHPLC-MS/MS method was developed and validated to be applied on real specimens of 20 chronic cocaine abusers to quantify cocaine/metabolites in conventional as well as alternative biological matrices. Cocaine was extracted from biological specimens using solid-phase extraction followed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry analysis. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Poroshell120EC-18 column (2.1 mm × 50 mm, 2.7 μm particle size) using water-acetonitrile in 0.1% formic acid as a mobile phase in gradient elution mode. The flow rate of the mobile phase was 0.5 mL/min with a gradient varying the percentage of acetonitrile linearity ranging 15-95% in 6.0 min acquisition time, and the injection volume was set at 5 μL. Positive electrospray ionization with multireaction ion monitoring mode using two ion transitions for cocaine/metabolites and one for cocaine-d3 was employed. The quantification method demonstrated good linear ranges of 0.025-250 ng/mL in blood, urine, and oral fluid (ng/mg for hair and nail) with a ≥0.991% determination coefficient. The detection limit and lower quantification limit were 0.005 and 0.025 ng/mL in all matrices, respectively. The mean extraction recovery and ionization suppression ranged from 89.3 to 99.8% and -4.6 to -14.4% in the studied matrices. Within-run and between-days precisions were 1.8-7.2% and 1.9-6.1%, respectively. This study will not only help in quantifying cocaine/metabolites in alternative specimens (hair, nail, and oral fluid) but also guide clinical and forensic toxicologists in interpretation of exhumation cases. Furthermore, multiple specimens' analyses can be of significance in estimating the time/manner of drug exposure, in confirming the results of laboratories in cases of doubtful clinical histories, or in aiding medico-legal investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Humera Shafi Makhdoom
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lahore, Lahore 44000, Pakistan
- Clinical
and Forensic Toxicology Department, Chughtai
Healthcare, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
| | - Saira Afzal
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lahore, Lahore 44000, Pakistan
| | - Kishwar Sultana
- Department of Pharmacy, Iqra
University Islamabad Campus, Islamabad 440000, Pakistan
| | | | - Majida Mujahid
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lahore, Lahore 44000, Pakistan
- Drug
Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
| | | | - Farida Munir
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lahore, Lahore 44000, Pakistan
| | - Faryal Jahan
- Shifa Tameer e Millat University Islamabad, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
| | - Zeerak Abbas
- Clinical
and Forensic Toxicology Department, Chughtai
Healthcare, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
| | - Ali Imran Abid
- Department of Regenerative
Nanomedicine, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg 67081, France
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2
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Dziadosz M, Rosenberger W, Bolte K, Klintschar M, Teske J. Phenibut screening and quantification with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and its application to driving cases. J Forensic Sci 2024; 69:725-729. [PMID: 38146811 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.15455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
An analytical strategy for identification by an LC-MS/MS multitarget screening method and a suitable LC-MS/MS based quantification were developed for the psychotropic drug phenibut. The samples analyzed were collected during traffic control and were associated with driving under the influence of drugs. A positive sample for phenibut was identified in a single case of driving under the influence. The quantification revealed a drug concentration of 1.9 μg/mL. An interaction with blood alcohol (BAC = 0.10%) was discussed as the explanation of the way of driving and deficit manifestations observed (swaying, nystagmus, quivering of the eyelid, and reddened eyes). According to the available information, the quantified phenibut concentration could be explained by an intake of four tablets (self-reported) during the day containing 250 mg of the drug. Chromatography was performed with a Luna 5 μm C18 (2) 100 A, 150 mm × 2 mm analytical column, and a buffer system consisted of 10 mM ammonium acetate and 0.1% acetic acid (v/v) included in mobile phases marked as A (H2 O/methanol = 95/5, v/v) and B (H2 O/methanol = 3/97, v/v). An effective limit of detection (LOD = 0.002 μg/mL) could be achieved for the multitarget screening method. The quantification of phenibut was performed on a second LC-MS/MS system with LOD/LOQ values of 0.22/0.40 μg/mL. Since phenibut quantification data are rare, the presented information can be used with caution for evaluation of positive cases in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marek Dziadosz
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Katarina Bolte
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany
| | - Michael Klintschar
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany
| | - Jörg Teske
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany
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3
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Usman M, Baig Y, Nardiello D, Quinto M. How new nanotechnologies are changing the opioid analysis scenery? A comparison with classical analytical methods. Forensic Sci Res 2024; 9:owae001. [PMID: 38560581 PMCID: PMC10981550 DOI: 10.1093/fsr/owae001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Opioids such as heroin, fentanyl, raw opium, and morphine have become a serious threat to the world population in the recent past, due to their increasing use and abuse. The detection of these drugs in biological samples is usually carried out by spectroscopic and/or chromatographic techniques, but the need for quick, sensitive, selective, and low-cost new analytical tools has pushed the development of new methods based on selective nanosensors, able to meet these requirements. Modern sensors, which utilize "next-generation" technologies like nanotechnology, have revolutionized drug detection methods, due to easiness of use, their low cost, and their high sensitivity and reliability, allowing the detection of opioids at trace levels in raw, pharmaceutical, and biological samples (e.g. blood, urine, saliva, and other biological fluids). The peculiar characteristics of these sensors not only have allowed on-site analyses (in the field, at the crime scene, etc.) but also they are nowadays replacing the gold standard analytical methods in the laboratory, even if a proper method validation is still required. This paper reviews advances in the field of nanotechnology and nanosensors for the detection of commonly abused opioids both prescribed (i.e. codeine and morphine) and illegal narcotics (i.e. heroin and fentanyl analogues).
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Usman
- Narcotic Unit, Punjab Forensic Science Agency, Home Department, Government of The Punjab, Lahore-54000, Pakistan
- Department of Sciences of Agriculture, Food, Natural Resources and Engineering (DAFNE), University of Foggia, I-71122 Foggia, Italy
| | - Yawar Baig
- Narcotic Unit, Punjab Forensic Science Agency, Home Department, Government of The Punjab, Lahore-54000, Pakistan
| | - Donatella Nardiello
- Department of Sciences of Agriculture, Food, Natural Resources and Engineering (DAFNE), University of Foggia, I-71122 Foggia, Italy
| | - Maurizio Quinto
- Department of Sciences of Agriculture, Food, Natural Resources and Engineering (DAFNE), University of Foggia, I-71122 Foggia, Italy
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4
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Zhang YX, Zhang Y, Bian Y, Liu YJ, Ren A, Zhou Y, Shi D, Feng XS. Benzodiazepines in complex biological matrices: Recent updates on pretreatment and detection methods. J Pharm Anal 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jpha.2023.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2023] Open
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5
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Zhao Y, Sepehr E, Vaught C, Yourick J, Sprando RL. Development and validation of a fit-for-purpose UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS method for the quantitation of cannabinoids in different matrices. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2023; 1218:123629. [PMID: 36854205 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2023.123629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Several cannabinoids (cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN) and cannabichromene (CBC)) and ethanol hemp extract are being used in primary human hepatocytes (PHH), Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) and in vitro buccal membrane absorption models to elucidate their potential toxicological mechanisms, evaluate their oromucosal absorption, and to identify their metabolites. William's E medium, C. elegans habitation medium (CeHM), and HEPES-buffered hanks' balanced salt solution (HHBSS) are matrices used with these predictive test systems. Therefore, we developed and validated a sensitive fit-for-purpose ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS) method for the quantitation of CBDV, CBG, CBD, CBN, and CBC in extracellular matrices used with these models for the first time. The separation of the analytes was performed on a Waters ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 column (130 Å, 1.7 μm, 2.1 × 100 mm) protected with a Waters ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 guard column (130 Å, 1.7 μm, 2.1 × 5 mm). Positive electrospray ionization and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) modes were used. Under the developed experimental conditions, good linearities were obtained over the concentration range of 0.025-40 µg/ml with coefficients of determination (R2) varying from 0.9953 to 0.9998. The intra-day precisions were between 0.5 and 9.6% with accuracies within ± 16.7%, and the inter-day precisions ranged from 0.6 to 13.1 % with accuracies within ± 13.7%. The method recoveries were between 85.8 and 105.1%. In addition, time-consuming sample preparation was avoided by applying a simple and efficient extraction procedure, which meets the need for potential large-scale routine analysis. The described method was successfully applied to quantitate the analytes in samples produced with different models as well as in ethanolic hemp extract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhao
- Division of Toxicology, Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA.
| | - Estatira Sepehr
- Division of Toxicology, Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA
| | - Cory Vaught
- Division of Toxicology, Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA
| | - Jeffrey Yourick
- Division of Toxicology, Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA
| | - Robert L Sprando
- Division of Toxicology, Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA
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6
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Song Y, Zhang Y, Wang L, Hu C, Liu ZF, Feng XS, He ZW. Cocaine in Different Matrices: Recent Updates on Pretreatment and Detection Techniques. Crit Rev Anal Chem 2022; 54:529-548. [PMID: 35708993 DOI: 10.1080/10408347.2022.2087467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Cocaine abuse has attracted increased attention in the recent past since it can cause addiction and great harm to the normal human body. Due to cocaine exists in various complex matrices, the detection of it in different matrices is helpful to prevent abuse. It is thus imperative to establish efficient and accurate methods for pretreatment and detection of cocaine in different samples. The present study provides a summary of the research progress of cocaine pretreatment methods (such as different microextraction methods, QuEChERS, and solid phase extraction based on novel extraction materials) and detection approaches (such as liquid chromatography coupled with different detectors, gas chromatography and related techniques, capillary electrophoresis and sensors). A comparison of the pros and cons of different pretreatment and detection methods is presented. The findings of this study will provide a reference for selection of the most suitable cocaine pretreatment and detection techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Song
- School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yuan Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Ling Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Cong Hu
- School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Zhi-Fei Liu
- School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xue-Song Feng
- School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Zhen-Wei He
- Department of Neurology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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7
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Arens A, Teske J, Klintschar M, Mischke R, Dziadosz M. Antemortem and postmortem rodenticide analysis in forensic toxicology as a part of an LC-MS/MS-based multi-target screening strategy. Drug Test Anal 2022; 14:1149-1154. [PMID: 34997698 DOI: 10.1002/dta.3222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Since rodenticides represent a substance group relevant in toxicological analyses, the aim of this work was the development of a complex multi-target screening strategy for the identification with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. A simple protein precipitation was used as the sample preparation strategy. Further, a Luna 5 μm C18 (2) 100 Å, 150 × 2 mm analytical column was applied for the separation of relevant analytes with a Shimadzu HPLC. Signal detection was performed with a SCIEX API 5500 QTrap MS/MS system. The rodenticides investigated (α-chloralose, brodifacoum, bromadiolone, coumatetralyl, difenacoum, and warfarin) could be incorporated effectively into a multi-target screening strategy covering about 250 substances representing different groups with a limit of detection appropriate for substance identification. The strategy can easily be modified to perform semi-quantitative measurements for this substance group and could be supplemented by quantification based on standard addition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annabel Arens
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Jörg Teske
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Reinhard Mischke
- Small Animal Clinic, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, Germany
| | - Marek Dziadosz
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
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8
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Fan SY, Zang CZ, Shih PH, Ko YC, Hsu YH, Lin MC, Tseng SH, Wang DY. Simultaneous LC-MS/MS screening for multiple phenethylamine-type conventional drugs and new psychoactive substances in urine. Forensic Sci Int 2021; 325:110884. [PMID: 34245937 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2021.110884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
New psychoactive substances are being launched in the drug market at a rapidly growing pace. More than 950 new psychoactive substances have been reported to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The development of new psychoactive substance abuse has drawn risks on public health and safety. Phenethylamines, along with other stimulants, accounted for the majority of the new psychoactive substances being reported in the past decade. This study presents a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the simultaneous screening of 74 conventional and artificial phenethylamines in urine samples. The chromatographic analysis was performed by a direct dilute-and-shoot procedure using a Phenomenex Kinetex® Phenyl-Hexyl column (10 cm × 2.1 mm i.d., 1.7 µm) and two mobile phases (A: 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution with 5 mM ammonium acetate, B: 0.1% formic acid methanolic solution). The mass fragments were collected under the multiple reaction monitoring mode. The linearity range located in 1.0-50.0 ng/mL for quantitative analysis. The limit of detection and lower limit of quantification for 74 phenethylamines were 0.5 ng/mL and 1.0 ng/mL, respectively. The method was validated and further applied to analyze authentic urine samples. Twenty samples were tested positive of seven phenethylamines from 67 samples, whereas the contents detected were 9.8 ng/mL to 147.1 μg/mL with dilution factors of 40 to 20,000 folds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Yu Fan
- Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Executive Yuan, 161-2 Kunyang St., Nangang Dist., Taipei City 11561, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Zong Zang
- Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Executive Yuan, 161-2 Kunyang St., Nangang Dist., Taipei City 11561, Taiwan.
| | - Po-Han Shih
- Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Executive Yuan, 161-2 Kunyang St., Nangang Dist., Taipei City 11561, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Chun Ko
- Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Executive Yuan, 161-2 Kunyang St., Nangang Dist., Taipei City 11561, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Hui Hsu
- Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Executive Yuan, 161-2 Kunyang St., Nangang Dist., Taipei City 11561, Taiwan
| | - Mei-Chih Lin
- Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Executive Yuan, 161-2 Kunyang St., Nangang Dist., Taipei City 11561, Taiwan
| | - Su-Hsiang Tseng
- Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Executive Yuan, 161-2 Kunyang St., Nangang Dist., Taipei City 11561, Taiwan
| | - Der-Yuan Wang
- Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Executive Yuan, 161-2 Kunyang St., Nangang Dist., Taipei City 11561, Taiwan
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9
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Rosenberger W, Teske J, Klintschar M, Dziadosz M. Detection of pharmaceuticals in "dirty sprite" using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Drug Test Anal 2021; 14:539-544. [PMID: 34142460 DOI: 10.1002/dta.3116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Dirty Sprite, also known as "lean" or "purple drank", is a preparation associated with the presence of codeine and promethazine. These drinks, predominantly used by young people, are mixtures of, for example, soft drinks, prescription medicines, and prescription cough syrups. The use of these illicit preparations started in Texas in the 1960s and become popularized in the 1990s. However, the misuse of these cocktails has become more common in other countries to date, for example, in Thailand. Given the illicit nature of these preparations and the lack of information available on the composition of these products, there is a need to identify and quantify the drugs that may be present. Three samples of Dirty Sprite were analyzed using GC-MS after liquid/liquid-extraction under acidic and basic conditions. Since the acidic extraction did not show the detection of relevant substances, samples were alkalized to pH ≥ 9, followed by extraction with 1-chlorobutane. GC-MS screening revealed the identification of codeine, dihydrocodeine, promethazine and impurities of cocaine. A selected ion monitoring method was developed for the quantification of these compounds using lemonade as a calibration matrix. Quantitative analysis showed concentrations of 130-mg/L codeine, 75-mg/L promethazine, and 3.4-mg/L cocaine in sample 1; 74-mg/L promethazine and 91-mg/L dihydrocodeine in sample 2; and 130-mg/L codeine combined with 68-mg/L promethazine in sample 3. The results also illustrate that the consumption of drugs detected in Dirty Sprite samples could lead to health risks given that these prescription medicines are consumed outside the medical environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jörg Teske
- Hannover Medical School, Institute of Legal Medicine, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Marek Dziadosz
- Hannover Medical School, Institute of Legal Medicine, Hannover, Germany
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10
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Andersen JE. Assessment of measurement uncertainty using longitudinal calibration data in the forensic context. Forensic Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.forc.2021.100317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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11
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Dziadosz M, Bolte K, Rosenberger W, Klintschar M, Teske J. Interpretation of melperone intoxication: post-mortem concentration distribution and interpretation of intoxication data. Drug Metab Pers Ther 2021; 36:233-237. [PMID: 34412172 DOI: 10.1515/dmpt-2020-0181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Since melperone abuse with lethal intoxication is common, expert opinions based on therapeutical and lethal concentration ranges can be considered as important. Because there is a lack of information about fatalities caused by melperone mono-intoxications and data on tissue samples with concentration distribution, the aim of this work is the examination of lethal concentration ranges of melperone and drug quantification in different matrices. METHODS An LC-MS/MS method was applied for analyses performed in blood and tissue samples. Quantification based on standard addition and sample preparation on liquid-liquid extraction with 1-chlorobutane. An appropriate tissue homogenization was performed ahead of extraction with an IKA Ultra-Turrax-Tube-Drive®. A Luna 5 µm C18 (2) 100 Å, 150 × 2 mm analytical column was used for chromatographic separation and the elution was performed with two mobile phases consisted of A (H2O/methanol = 95/5, v/v) and B (H2O/methanol = 3/97, v/v) both with 10 mM ammonium acetate and 0.1% acetic acid. RESULTS A multi-drug LC-MS/MS analytical method developed was applied successfully for melperone quantification in different post-mortem matrices. No analytical problems could be identified during method development and analyses of real samples. The melperone lethal concentration calculated in femoral blood of the drug mono-intoxication investigated was 10 mg/L. Melperone concentration distribution was presented for the first time. CONCLUSIONS The lethal reference concentration of melperone in femoral blood of 17.1 mg/L pointed out in different reference lists should be used with caution. Instead, a lower lethal melperone concentration should be considered. The post-mortem concentration distribution of the drug presented could be helpful in the interpretation of cases where no blood samples are available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marek Dziadosz
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany
| | - Katarina Bolte
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Michael Klintschar
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany
| | - Jörg Teske
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany
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12
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Dziadosz M, Bolte K, Rosenberger W, Klintschar M, Teske J. Interpretation of melperone intoxication: post-mortem concentration distribution and interpretation of intoxication data. Drug Metab Pers Ther 2021; 0:dmdi-2020-0181. [PMID: 33770824 DOI: 10.1515/dmdi-2020-0181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Since melperone abuse with lethal intoxication is common, expert opinions based on therapeutical and lethal concentration ranges can be considered as important. Because there is a lack of information about fatalities caused by melperone mono-intoxications and data on tissue samples with concentration distribution, the aim of this work is the examination of lethal concentration ranges of melperone and drug quantification in different matrices. METHODS An LC-MS/MS method was applied for analyses performed in blood and tissue samples. Quantification based on standard addition and sample preparation on liquid-liquid extraction with 1-chlorobutane. An appropriate tissue homogenization was performed ahead of extraction with an IKA Ultra-Turrax-Tube-Drive®. A Luna 5 µm C18 (2) 100 Å, 150 × 2 mm analytical column was used for chromatographic separation and the elution was performed with two mobile phases consisted of A (H2O/methanol = 95/5, v/v) and B (H2O/methanol = 3/97, v/v) both with 10 mM ammonium acetate and 0.1% acetic acid. RESULTS A multi-drug LC-MS/MS analytical method developed was applied successfully for melperone quantification in different post-mortem matrices. No analytical problems could be identified during method development and analyses of real samples. The melperone lethal concentration calculated in femoral blood of the drug mono-intoxication investigated was 10 mg/L. Melperone concentration distribution was presented for the first time. CONCLUSIONS The lethal reference concentration of melperone in femoral blood of 17.1 mg/L pointed out in different reference lists should be used with caution. Instead, a lower lethal melperone concentration should be considered. The post-mortem concentration distribution of the drug presented could be helpful in the interpretation of cases where no blood samples are available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marek Dziadosz
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany
| | - Katarina Bolte
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Michael Klintschar
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany
| | - Jörg Teske
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany
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13
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Brown HM, McDaniel TJ, Fedick PW, Mulligan CC. The current role of mass spectrometry in forensics and future prospects. ANALYTICAL METHODS : ADVANCING METHODS AND APPLICATIONS 2020; 12:3974-3997. [PMID: 32720670 DOI: 10.1039/d0ay01113d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Mass spectrometry (MS) techniques are highly prevalent in crime laboratories, particularly those coupled to chromatographic separations like gas chromatography (GC) and liquid chromatography (LC). These methods are considered "gold standard" analytical techniques for forensic analysis and have been extensively validated for producing prosecutorial evidentiary data. However, factors such as growing evidence backlogs and problematic evidence types (e.g., novel psychoactive substance (NPS) classes) have exposed limitations of these stalwart techniques. This critical review serves to delineate the current role of MS methods across the broad sub-disciplines of forensic science, providing insight on how governmental steering committees guide their implementation. Novel, developing techniques that seek to broaden applicability and enhance performance will also be highlighted, from unique modifications to traditional hyphenated MS methods to the newer "ambient" MS techniques that show promise for forensic analysis, but need further validation before incorporation into routine forensic workflows. This review also expounds on how recent improvements to MS instrumental design, scan modes, and data processing could cause a paradigm shift in how the future forensic practitioner collects and processes target evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilary M Brown
- Chemistry Division, Research Department, Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division (NAWCWD), United States Navy Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), China Lake, California 93555, USA.
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14
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McRae G, Melanson JE. Quantitative determination and validation of 17 cannabinoids in cannabis and hemp using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Anal Bioanal Chem 2020; 412:7381-7393. [PMID: 32833075 PMCID: PMC7533253 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-020-02862-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The increase in production of cannabis for medical and recreational purposes in recent years has led to a corresponding increase in laboratories performing cannabinoid analysis of cannabis and hemp. We have developed and validated a quantitative liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method that is simple, reliable, specific, and accurate for the analysis of 17 cannabinoids in cannabis and hemp. Liquid-solid sample extraction coupled with dilution into a calibration range from 10 to 10,000 ng/mL and LC-MS/MS analysis provides quantification of samples ranging from 0.002 to 200 mg/g (0.0002 to 20.0%) in matrix. Linearity of calibration curves in methanol was demonstrated with regression r2 ≥ 0.99. Within-batch precision (0.5 to 6.5%) and accuracy (91.4 to 108.0%) and between-batch precision (0.9 to 5.1%) and accuracy (91.5 to 107.5%) were demonstrated for quality control (QC) samples in methanol. Within-batch precision (0.2 to 3.6%) and accuracy (85.4 to 111.6%) and between-batch precision (1.4 to 6.1 %) and accuracy (90.2 to 110.3%) were also evaluated with a candidate cannabis certified reference material (CRM). Repeatability (1.5 to 12.4% RSD) and intermediate precision (2.2 to 12.8% RSD) were demonstrated via analysis of seven cannabis samples with HorRat values ranging from 0.3 to 3.1. The method provides enhanced detection limits coupled with a large quantitative range for 17 cannabinoids in plant material. It is suitable for a wide range of applications including routine analysis for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (Δ9-THCA), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), and cannabinol (CBN) as well as more advanced interrogation of samples for both major and minor cannabinoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garnet McRae
- National Research Council of Canada, Metrology, 1200 Montreal Road, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Jeremy E Melanson
- National Research Council of Canada, Metrology, 1200 Montreal Road, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0R6, Canada.
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Nahar L, Onder A, Sarker SD. A review on the recent advances in HPLC, UHPLC and UPLC analyses of naturally occurring cannabinoids (2010-2019). PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS : PCA 2020; 31:413-457. [PMID: 31849137 DOI: 10.1002/pca.2906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Organic molecules that bind to cannabinoid receptors are called cannabinoids, and they have similar pharmacological properties like the plant, Cannabis sativa L. Hyphenated liquid chromatography (LC), incorporating high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC, also known as ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography, UHPLC), usually coupled to an ultraviolet (UV), UV-photodiode array (PDA) or mass spectrometry (MS) detector, has become a popular analytical tool for the analysis of naturally occurring cannabinoids in various matrices. OBJECTIVE To review literature on the use of various LC-based analytical methods for the analysis of naturally occurring cannabinoids published since 2010. METHODOLOGY A comprehensive literature search was performed utilising several databases, like Web of Knowledge, PubMed and Google Scholar, and other relevant published materials including published books. The keywords used, in various combinations, with cannabinoids being present in all combinations, in the search were Cannabis, hemp, cannabinoids, Cannabis sativa, marijuana, analysis, HPLC, UHPLC, UPLC, quantitative, qualitative and quality control. RESULTS Since 2010, several LC methods for the analysis of naturally occurring cannabinoids have been reported. While simple HPLC-UV or HPLC-UV-PDA-based methods were common in cannabinoids analysis, HPLC-MS, HPLC-MS/MS, UPLC (or UHPLC)-UV-PDA, UPLC (or UHPLC)-MS and UPLC (or UHPLC)-MS/MS, were also used frequently. Applications of mathematical and computational models for optimisation of different protocols were observed, and pre-analyses included various environmentally friendly extraction protocols. CONCLUSIONS LC-based analysis of naturally occurring cannabinoids has dominated the cannabinoids analysis during the last 10 years, and UPLC and UHPLC methods have been shown to be superior to conventional HPLC methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lutfun Nahar
- Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Institute of Experimental Botany ASCR & Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Alev Onder
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Satyajit D Sarker
- Centre for Natural Products Discovery, School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
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16
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Ferreira E, Corte Real F, Pinho e Melo T, Margalho C. A Novel Bioanalytical Method for the Determination of Opioids in Blood and Pericardial Fluid. J Anal Toxicol 2020; 44:754-768. [DOI: 10.1093/jat/bkaa064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 05/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Opioids are the drugs most commonly detected in overdose deaths and the second most consumed worldwide. An analytical methodology has been optimized and fully validated for the determination of codeine, morphine, 6-acetylmorphine, 6-acetylcodeine, oxycodone, oxymorphone and fentanyl in whole blood and pericardial fluid. The internal standards used were codeine-d3, morphine-d3, 6-acetylmorphine-d3 and fentanyl-d5. Before solid-phase extraction, volumes of 250 μL of blood and pericardial fluid were subjected to a protein precipitation (with 750 μL of ice-cold acetonitrile) and a microwave-induced oximation was performed using a solution of 1% aqueous hydroxylamine hydrochloride in phosphate-buffered saline (1:2, v/v). Finally, the dried extracts were further derivatized with a solution of n-methyl-n-(trimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamide + 5% trimethylchlorosilane under microwave irradiation. The chromatographic analysis was carried out using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry operating in electron impact and selected ion monitoring mode. For all analytes, the method was linear between 5 and 1,000 ng/mL with determination coefficients (r2) >0.99. Depending on the analyte and matrix, the limit of detection varies between 3 and 4 ng/mL. Intra- and intermediate precision (<20%) and bias (±20%) were acceptable for all analytes in both matrices. The stability of the substances in the studied matrices was guaranteed, at least, 24 h in the autosampler, 4 h at room temperature and 30 days after three freeze/thaw cycles. This methodology was applied to real samples from the Laboratory of Chemistry and Forensic Toxicology, Centre Branch, of the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, Portugal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Ferreira
- Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal e Ciências Forenses, I.P. (INMLCF, I.P.), Laboratório de Toxicologia Forense da Delegação do Centro, Azinhaga de Santa Comba - Polo das Ciências da Saúde, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- Departamento de Química da Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de Coimbra, R. Larga 2, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Francisco Corte Real
- Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal e Ciências Forenses, I.P. (INMLCF, I.P.), Laboratório de Toxicologia Forense da Delegação do Centro, Azinhaga de Santa Comba - Polo das Ciências da Saúde, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba - Polo das Ciências da Saúde, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Teresa Pinho e Melo
- Departamento de Química da Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de Coimbra, R. Larga 2, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Cláudia Margalho
- Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal e Ciências Forenses, I.P. (INMLCF, I.P.), Laboratório de Toxicologia Forense da Delegação do Centro, Azinhaga de Santa Comba - Polo das Ciências da Saúde, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
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Herrera-Chacón A, Torabi F, Faridbod F, Ghasemi JB, González-Calabuig A, del Valle M. Voltammetric Electronic Tongue for the Simultaneous Determination of Three Benzodiazepines. SENSORS 2019; 19:s19225002. [PMID: 31744128 PMCID: PMC6891414 DOI: 10.3390/s19225002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The presented manuscript reports the simultaneous detection of a ternary mixture of the benzodiazepines diazepam, lorazepam, and flunitrazepam using an array of voltammetric sensors and the electronic tongue principle. The electrodes used in the array were selected from a set of differently modified graphite epoxy composite electrodes; specifically, six electrodes were used incorporating metallic nanoparticles of Cu and Pt, oxide nanoparticles of CuO and WO3, plus pristine electrodes of epoxy-graphite and metallic Pt disk. Cyclic voltammetry was the technique used to obtain the voltammetric responses. Multivariate examination using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) justified the choice of sensors in order to get the proper discrimination of the benzodiazepines. Next, a quantitative model to predict the concentrations of mixtures of the three benzodiazepines was built employing the set of voltammograms, and was first processed with the Discrete Wavelet Transform, which fed an artificial neural network response model. The developed model successfully predicted the concentration of the three compounds with a normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) of 0.034 and 0.106 for the training and test subsets, respectively, and coefficient of correlation R ≥ 0.938 in the predicted vs. expected concentrations comparison graph.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Herrera-Chacón
- Sensors and Biosensors Group, Department of Chemistry Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici Cn, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain; (A.H.-C.); (F.T.); (A.G.-C.)
| | - Farzad Torabi
- Sensors and Biosensors Group, Department of Chemistry Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici Cn, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain; (A.H.-C.); (F.T.); (A.G.-C.)
- Center of Excellence in Electrochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Tehran, Tehran 1417466191, Iran;
| | - Farnoush Faridbod
- Center of Excellence in Electrochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Tehran, Tehran 1417466191, Iran;
| | - Jahan B. Ghasemi
- School of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran 1417466191, Iran;
| | - Andreu González-Calabuig
- Sensors and Biosensors Group, Department of Chemistry Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici Cn, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain; (A.H.-C.); (F.T.); (A.G.-C.)
| | - Manel del Valle
- Sensors and Biosensors Group, Department of Chemistry Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici Cn, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain; (A.H.-C.); (F.T.); (A.G.-C.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-93-581-3235
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18
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Abd-Elsalam WH, Alsherbiny MA, Kung JY, Pate DW, Löbenberg R. LC–MS/MS quantitation of phytocannabinoids and their metabolites in biological matrices. Talanta 2019; 204:846-867. [PMID: 31357374 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2019.06.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Revised: 06/09/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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19
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Franco de Oliveira SCWSE, Zucoloto AD, de Oliveira CDR, Hernandez EMM, Fruchtengarten LVG, de Oliveira TF, Yonamine M. A fast and simple approach for the quantification of 40 illicit drugs, medicines, and pesticides in blood and urine samples by UHPLC-MS/MS. JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY : JMS 2019; 54:600-611. [PMID: 31066158 DOI: 10.1002/jms.4369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
A fast and simple approach to overcome challenges in emergency toxicological analysis, using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) has been developed, for the detection of analytes in blood and urine samples from the following drug classes: analgesics, benzodiazepines, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, drugs of abuse, and pesticides. These substances are relevant in the context of emergency toxicology in Brazil. The sample preparation procedure was relatively easy and fast to perform. The method was fully validated giving limits of in the range of 0.5 and 20 ng mL-1 for blood and urine samples. The intraday and interday precision and accuracy were considered adequate for all analytes once the relative standard deviation (RSD) (%) was lower than 20% for quality control (QC) low and lower than 15% for CQ medium and high. The developed method was successfully applied to 320 real samples collected at the Poison Control Center of São Paulo, and 89.1% have shown to be positive for some of the analytes. This confirms its applicability and importance to emergency toxicological analysis, and it could be very useful in both fields of clinical and forensic toxicology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C W S E Franco de Oliveira
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Pharmacosciences Department, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Alexandre D Zucoloto
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Poison Control Center of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Tiago F de Oliveira
- Pharmacosciences Department, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Mauricio Yonamine
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Henning K, Teske J, Klintschar M, Dziadosz M. Postmortem findings of pipamperone after fatal intoxications and its distribution in body fluids and tissues. Drug Test Anal 2019; 11:626-630. [DOI: 10.1002/dta.2574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Revised: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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21
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Pan M, Xiang P, Yu Z, Zhao Y, Yan H. Development of a high-throughput screening analysis for 288 drugs and poisons in human blood using Orbitrap technology with gas chromatography-high resolution accurate mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr A 2018; 1587:209-226. [PMID: 30595433 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2018.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Revised: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The screening analysis for drugs and poisons always symbolizes the capabilities of a forensic laboratory. Due to the rapid emergence of new compounds in clinical and forensic intoxication cases, sensitive and specific methods are necessary for the screening of wide range of target compounds. A novel high-throughput screening method has been developed for the toxicological analysis of 288 drugs and poisons in human blood using Orbitrap technology with gas chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (GC-HRMS). This method allows for the fast detection and identification of high-throughput forensically important drugs and poisons, e.g., drugs of abuse (cocaine, amphetamines, synthetic cannabinoids, opiates, hallucinogen), sedative-hypnotics, antidepressants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, pesticides (acaricides, fungicides, insecticides, nematicides), and cardiovascular agents in one single GC-Q Exactive run. After a simple extraction with ethyl ether and buffer, following centrifugation, the supernatant was injected into the system. For detection, spiked blood samples were analyzed by Orbitrap-GC-HRMS using an electrospray ionization in full scan mode with a scan range from 40 to 650 (m/z). The identification of drugs and poisons in the samples was carried out by searching the accurate molecular mass of characteristic fragment ions, ion rations and retention time (RT) against the in-house library that we developed with 70 ev electron energy. The limit of detection (LOD) for most compounds (249 in a total of 288 compounds) was below 100 ng/mL. For selectivity, no substances have been identified in drug-free blood samples from six different sources, and the method was suitable for the recovery and the carryover. The coefficient of variation (CV) of the RTs was below 0.99% in all reproducibility experiments. Mass accuracy was always better than 3 ppm, corresponding to a maximum mass error of 1.04 millimass units (mmu). The developed method was applied to 136 real samples from forensic cases, demonstrating its suitability for the sensitive and fast screening of high-throughput drugs in human blood samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiru Pan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Wenhua Road 103, Shenyang, 110016, China; Department of Forensic Toxicology, Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai Key laboratory of Forensic Medicine, 1347 West Guangfu Road, Shanghai, 20063, China
| | - Ping Xiang
- Department of Forensic Toxicology, Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai Key laboratory of Forensic Medicine, 1347 West Guangfu Road, Shanghai, 20063, China
| | - Zhiguo Yu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Wenhua Road 103, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Yunli Zhao
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Wenhua Road 103, Shenyang, 110016, China.
| | - Hui Yan
- Department of Forensic Toxicology, Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai Key laboratory of Forensic Medicine, 1347 West Guangfu Road, Shanghai, 20063, China.
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22
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Fonseca Pego AM, Franco de Oliveira SCWDSE, Franco de Oliveira T, Leyton V, Miziara I, Yonamine M. Cocaine toxicological findings in cases of violent death in Sao Paulo city - Brazil. J Forensic Leg Med 2018; 60:3-8. [PMID: 30189409 DOI: 10.1016/j.jflm.2018.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Revised: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Violence is a dreadful phenomenon spread throughout the world, resulting in unfortunate events that can ultimately cause death. It is known that some countries play a much worrying role in this scenario than others. Brazil is one of them. The present work has focused on identifying the use of cocaine in 105 postmortem cases arriving at the Institute of Legal Medicine of Sao Paulo (IML-SP), the largest Brazilian city. Both blood and hair samples have been analyzed through ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS) in order to distinguish between recent or chronic cocaine use. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the proportion of cocaine use amongst violent individuals whose violence has ultimately led to their death. In order to do so, two previous methods, validated in-house, based on methanolic extraction for hair and protein precipitation for blood, have been used for this purpose and the final residue was analyzed through UPLC-ESI-MS/MS system. When looking at the demographics from the 105 postmortem cases analyzed, the results have shown the most critical age range to be between 18 and 25 years old and the least frequent between 37 and 45 years old. Gender wise, a rather extreme difference was found as 97 of the individuals were men and finally, considering the manner of death, the four-category criteria established appear to be fairly similar with 34 cases related to general violence and risk behavior, 26 to drug abuse suspicion, 23 to homicide resulting from opposition to police intervention and 22 to possible suicide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Miguel Fonseca Pego
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analyses, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
| | | | | | - Vilma Leyton
- Department of Legal Medicine, Ethics and Occupational Health, School of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ivan Miziara
- Department of Legal Medicine, Ethics and Occupational Health, School of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil; Technical-Scientific Police Superintendency of the State of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mauricio Yonamine
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analyses, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
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23
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Álvarez-Freire I, Brunetti P, Cabarcos-Fernández P, Fernández-Liste A, Tabernero-Duque MJ, Bermejo-Barrera AM. Determination of benzodiazepines in pericardial fluid by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2018; 159:45-52. [PMID: 29980018 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2018.06.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Revised: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/19/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
In Forensic Toxicology it is sometimes impossible to obtain a valid blood sample to perform toxicological analysis due to several factors like advanced state of decomposition, severe burns, bleed to death…. Pericardial Fluid has already been studied during the last years and has been proposed as a valid specimen for toxicological tests. Over the years, the consumption of benzodiazepines spread among the drug dependent population and became noticeable in drug facilitated assault cases and road accidents. Improvement of the analytical methodology required for detecting the presence of these drugs in biological samples is of great importance for forensic toxicology, in order to correctly diagnose an exposure or a poisoning. In this study, 9 benzodiazepines (diazepam, nordiazepam, midazolam, bromazepam, oxazepam, temazepam, lorazepam, clonazepam and alprazolam) have been determined in pericardial fluid. For this purpose a solid phase extraction (SPE) was carried out using Bond Elut Certify cartridges. After the derivatization of six of the nine benzodiazepines, gas chromatography coupled to a selective mass detector was used as the technique for the separation of the analytes. The method developed was fully validated for the 9 analytes and was applied to real samples of pericardial fluid received at the Forensic Toxicology Service of the University of Santiago de Compostela. Finally, they were compared with blood results looking for the existence of a possible correlation between both biological samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Álvarez-Freire
- Forensic Toxicology Service, Forensic Sciences Institute, Medicine School, University of Santiago de Compostela, C/ San Francisco s/n, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - P Brunetti
- Università degli Studi di Urbino "Carlo Bo", Facoltà di Farmacia, Via Aurelio Saffi, 2, 61029, Urbino, PU, Italy
| | - P Cabarcos-Fernández
- Forensic Toxicology Service, Forensic Sciences Institute, Medicine School, University of Santiago de Compostela, C/ San Francisco s/n, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - A Fernández-Liste
- Galicia´s Legal Medicine Institute (IMELGA), Courthouse Building, C/ Viena s/n, 15707, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - M J Tabernero-Duque
- Forensic Toxicology Service, Forensic Sciences Institute, Medicine School, University of Santiago de Compostela, C/ San Francisco s/n, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - A M Bermejo-Barrera
- Forensic Toxicology Service, Forensic Sciences Institute, Medicine School, University of Santiago de Compostela, C/ San Francisco s/n, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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