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Arbouche N, de Lestrange A, Raul JS, Kintz P. Mariani wine: What's really in it? Analysis of the most popular tonic drink of the 19th century after 100 years of storage. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2024; 238:115804. [PMID: 37866081 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2023.115804] [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: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
During the Belle Epoque, the use of cocaine, well known to the South American populations, spread among the European elite in the form of a tonic drink created from coca leaves macerated in Bordeaux wine, the Mariani wine. Nowadays, bottles in circulation are extremely rare but the investigations of a Parisian historian led him to the discovery of a bottle of wine that belonged to Angelo Mariani's estate at the end of the 19th century. Our laboratory was asked to analyse the contents of the bottle in order to search for the main active compounds and to estimate the state of preservation. The analysis of the centenarian product collected was aimed at identifying the alcohols and solvents by HS-GC/FID and HS-GC/MS after dilution in water, and the main alkaloids contained in all the samples by LC-HRMS screening and LC-MS/MS quantification. The Mariani wine presented an alcohol content of 15.7°. The screening and the subsequent dosage revealed the following substances: cocaine (86 ng/mL), benzoylecgonine (383 ng/mL), cocaethylene (17 ng/mL), ecgonine methyl ester (130 ng/mL), caffeine, cuscohygrine, cinnamoylcocaine and synephrine. The alkaloids found in the Mariani wine confirm the real presence of coca leaves in this drink. Their low concentrations may indicate drug instability. The presence of cocaethylene demonstrates that it can be formed without passing through the liver, which was supposed to be the site of production when cocaine and ethanol are present in the body at the same time. These appear to be the first report in the literature presenting the analysis of Mariani wine with the dosage of cocaine derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Pascal Kintz
- Institut de Médecine Légale, Strasbourg, France; X-Pertise Consulting, Mittelhausbergen, France
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2
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Losacker M, Hundertmark M, Zoerntlein S, Roehrich J, Hess C. Chiral pharmacokinetics of tetramisole stereoisomers – enantioselective quantification of levamisole and dexamisole in serum samples from users of adulterated cocaine. Drug Test Anal 2022; 14:1053-1064. [DOI: 10.1002/dta.3227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Moritz Losacker
- Department of Forensic Toxicology Institute of Legal Medicine, University Medical Center Mainz Mainz Germany
| | - Marica Hundertmark
- Department of Forensic Toxicology Institute of Legal Medicine, University Medical Center Mainz Mainz Germany
| | - Siegfried Zoerntlein
- Forensic Science Institute, Dez. 33 Chemistry/Toxicology, State Office of Criminal Investigation Rhineland‐Palatinate Mainz Germany
| | - Joerg Roehrich
- Department of Forensic Toxicology Institute of Legal Medicine, University Medical Center Mainz Mainz Germany
| | - Cornelius Hess
- Department of Forensic Toxicology Institute of Legal Medicine, University Medical Center Mainz Mainz Germany
- Reference Institute for Bioanalytics Bonn Germany
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3
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Saito K, Yokota M, Saito S, Ito R. Elucidation of Degradation Behavior of Nitrazepam and Other Benzodiazepines in Artificial Gastric Juice: Study on Degradability of Drugs in Stomach (II). Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) 2021; 69:258-264. [PMID: 33642473 DOI: 10.1248/cpb.c20-00836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The degradation behavior of eight benzodiazepines (BZPs): alprazolam, etizolam, diazepam, triazolam, nitrazepam (NZP), flunitrazepam (FNZ), bromazepam, and lorazepam, in artificial gastric juice was monitored by a LC/photodiode array detector (PDA) to estimate their pharmacokinetics in the stomach. For drugs that were degradable, such physicochemical parameters as reaction rate constant were measured to evaluate the effect of storage conditions on drug degradability, such as whether the degradation proceeds faster by increasing storage temperature, or whether the degradation reaction is reversible by adjusting pH. As a result, it was confirmed that although the eight BZPs degraded in artificial gastric juice, most of them could be restored when pH was increased, and the restoration rates differed depending on the pH and the type of BZP. As for NZP, an Arrhenius plot was drawn to obtain the physicochemical parameters, such as activation energy and activation entropy involved in the degradation reaction, and the reaction kinetics was discussed. In addition, two substances were confirmed as the degradation products of NZP in artificial gastric juice: one was a reversible degradation product (A) (intermediate) and the other was an irreversible degradation product (B) (final degradation product). The intermediate was identified as 2-amino-N-(2-benzoyl-4-nitrophenyl)-acetamide, and the final degradation product was 2-amino-5-nitrobenzophenone. Therefore, when detecting NZP in human stomach contents, such as during judicial dissection, it would be prudent to target NZP as well as the intermediate (A) and the final degradation product (B).
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Affiliation(s)
- Koichi Saito
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hoshi University
| | - Mai Yokota
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hoshi University
| | - Sachi Saito
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hoshi University
| | - Rie Ito
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hoshi University
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4
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Lizot LDLF, da Silva ACC, Bastiani MF, Maurer TF, Hahn RZ, Perassolo MS, Antunes MV, Linden R. Simultaneous Determination of Cocaine and Metabolites in Human Plasma Using Solid Phase Micro-Extraction Fiber Tips C18 and UPLC-MS/MS. J Anal Toxicol 2020; 44:49-56. [PMID: 31095712 DOI: 10.1093/jat/bkz042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Revised: 03/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The determination of cocaine (COC) and its metabolites ecgonine methyl ester (EME), benzoylecgonine (BZE), norcocaine (NCOC) and cocaethylene (CE) in human plasma is relevant in clinical and forensic toxicology. An efficient extraction and clean-up of plasma specimens for the simultaneous determination of BZE along with COC and basic metabolites is challenging due to their widely different polarities and ionization characteristics. Recently, biocompatible SPME LC tips C18 became commercially available. We applied SPME LC tips C18 to the simultaneous extraction of COC, BZE, EME, NCOC, and CE by direct immersion of the fiber in plasma diluted with a buffer at pH 8.0. Analytes were desorbed from the fiber to methanol containing formic acid and injected into a UPLC-MS/MS system. The assay was linear from 5 to 500 ng mL-1. Precision assays presented CV% in the range of 2.22 to 10.54%, and accuracy was in the range of 93.4-108.1%. The assay requires minimal quantities of plasma and organic solvents, allowing multiple extractions in parallel. Biocompatible SPME is a promising alternative for preparing biological samples prior to drug measurement by UPLC-MS/MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilian de Lima Feltraco Lizot
- Laboratory of Analytical Toxicology, Feevale University, Novo Hamburgo, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology in Forensic Sciences (INCT Forense), Brazil.,Graduate Program on Toxicology and Analytical Toxicology, Universidade Feevale, Novo Hamburgo-RS, Brazil
| | - Anne Caroline Cezimbra da Silva
- Laboratory of Analytical Toxicology, Feevale University, Novo Hamburgo, Brazil.,Graduate Program on Toxicology and Analytical Toxicology, Universidade Feevale, Novo Hamburgo-RS, Brazil
| | - Marcos Frank Bastiani
- Laboratory of Analytical Toxicology, Feevale University, Novo Hamburgo, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology in Forensic Sciences (INCT Forense), Brazil.,Graduate Program on Toxicology and Analytical Toxicology, Universidade Feevale, Novo Hamburgo-RS, Brazil
| | | | - Roberta Zilles Hahn
- Laboratory of Analytical Toxicology, Feevale University, Novo Hamburgo, Brazil
| | - Magda Susana Perassolo
- Graduate Program on Toxicology and Analytical Toxicology, Universidade Feevale, Novo Hamburgo-RS, Brazil
| | - Marina Venzon Antunes
- Laboratory of Analytical Toxicology, Feevale University, Novo Hamburgo, Brazil.,Graduate Program on Toxicology and Analytical Toxicology, Universidade Feevale, Novo Hamburgo-RS, Brazil
| | - Rafael Linden
- Laboratory of Analytical Toxicology, Feevale University, Novo Hamburgo, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology in Forensic Sciences (INCT Forense), Brazil.,Graduate Program on Toxicology and Analytical Toxicology, Universidade Feevale, Novo Hamburgo-RS, Brazil
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5
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Nedahl M, Johansen SS, Linnet K. Postmortem Brain–Blood Ratios of Amphetamine, Cocaine, Ephedrine, MDMA and Methylphenidate. J Anal Toxicol 2019; 43:378-384. [DOI: 10.1093/jat/bky110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Nedahl
- Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Frederik V's vej 11, 3. Floor, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - Sys Stybe Johansen
- Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Frederik V's vej 11, 3. Floor, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - Kristian Linnet
- Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Frederik V's vej 11, 3. Floor, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
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6
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Dempsey SK, Moeller FG, Poklis JL. Rapid Separation and Quantitation of Cocaine and its Metabolites in Human Serum by Differential Mobility Spectrometry-tandem Mass Spectrometry (DMS-MS-MS). J Anal Toxicol 2019; 42:518-524. [PMID: 30371848 DOI: 10.1093/jat/bky055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cocaine continues to be one of the most widespread abused illicit drugs in the USA. Rapid methods are needed for the identification and quantitation of cocaine and its metabolites, benzoylecgonine (BE), ecgonine methyl ester (EME) and cocaethylene (CE), in biological specimens by clinical and forensic toxicology laboratories. Presented is a differential ion mobility spectrometry-tandem mass spectrometry (DMS-MS-MS) method for the analysis of cocaine and its major metabolites in human serum that requires minimal sample preparation and no column chromatography. A Shimadzu Nexera X2 ultra-high performance liquid chromatography system was used to infuse the samples into the DMS cell at a rate of 30 μL/min. Separation of cocaine and its metabolites were performed in a SelexION DMS component from Sciex coupled to a QTRAP 6500 with an IonDrive Turbo V source for TurbolonSpray® using acetonitrile as a chemical modifier. Analysis consisted of ramping the CoV from -35 V to -6 V while monitoring the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) transitions of each analyte. The assay was evaluated for linearity, bias, precision, carryover, interferences and stability. Calibration curves ranged from 10 to 1,000 ng/mL with linear regression correlation coefficients (r2) of 0.9912 or greater for each analyte. The limit of quantitation was set at 10 ng/mL. Intra-day precision (%CV) ranged from 0% to 15% for cocaine, 1% to 19% for BE, 1% to 17% for EME and 0% to 18% for CE. Inter-day precision ranged from 9% to 14% for cocaine, 2% to 17% for BE, 5% to 11% for EME and 5% to 15% for CE. No carryover or interferences were detected. Bland-Altman analysis of previously analyzed specimens by UPLC-MS-MS showed variability of 30% or less. The method demonstrates the applicability of DMS-MS-MS for high throughout analysis of drugs and their metabolites in clinical and forensic toxicology laboratories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara K Dempsey
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - F Gerard Moeller
- Institute of Drug and Alcohol Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.,C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Justin L Poklis
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
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7
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Fernández N, Cabanillas LM, Olivera NM, Quiroga PN. Optimization and validation of simultaneous analyses of ecgonine, cocaine, and seven metabolites in human urine by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using a one-step solid-phase extraction. Drug Test Anal 2018; 11:361-373. [PMID: 30468698 DOI: 10.1002/dta.2547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Revised: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The presence of ecgonine in urine has been proposed as an appropriate marker of cocaine use. Only a few methods have been published for their determination along with cocaine and the rest of its metabolites. Due to their high polarity and consequent solubility in water, these have low recoveries, which is why it is necessary to increase the sensitivity, by the formation of hydrochloric salts or multiderivatization of the analytes or by performing two solid-phase extractions (SPEs), considerably increasing the time and cost of the analysis. This work describes a fast and fully validated procedure for the simultaneous detection and quantification of ecgonine, ecgonine-methyl-ester, benzoylecgonine, nor-benzoylecgonine, m-hydroxybenzoylecgonine, cocaethylene, cocaine, norcocaine, and norcocaethylene in human urine (500 μL) using one SPE and simple derivatization. Separation and quantification were achieved by gas chromatography-electron ionization-mass spectrometry (GC-EI-MS) in selected-ion monitoring mode. Quantification was performed by the addition of deuterated analogs as internal standards. Calibration curves were linear in the adopted ranges, with determination coefficients higher than 0.99. The lower limits of quantification ranged from 2.5 to 10 ng/mL. The intra- and inter-day precision, calculated in terms of relative standard deviation, were 1.2%-14.9% and 1.8%-17.9%, respectively. The accuracy, in terms of relative error, was within a ± 16.4% interval. Extraction efficiency ranged from 84% to 103%. Compared with existing methods, the procedure described herein is fast, since only one SPE is required, and cost-effective. In addition, this method provides a high recovery for ecgonine, resulting in a better alternative to the previously published methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolás Fernández
- Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Cátedra de Toxicología y Química Legal, Laboratorio de Asesoramiento Toxicológico Analítico (CENATOXA), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 956 7mopiso (C1113AAD). Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (CABA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Laura Marina Cabanillas
- Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Cátedra de Toxicología y Química Legal, Laboratorio de Asesoramiento Toxicológico Analítico (CENATOXA), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 956 7mopiso (C1113AAD). Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (CABA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Nancy Mónica Olivera
- Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Cátedra de Toxicología y Química Legal, Laboratorio de Asesoramiento Toxicológico Analítico (CENATOXA), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 956 7mopiso (C1113AAD). Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (CABA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Patricia Noemí Quiroga
- Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Cátedra de Toxicología y Química Legal, Laboratorio de Asesoramiento Toxicológico Analítico (CENATOXA), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 956 7mopiso (C1113AAD). Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (CABA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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8
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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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9
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de Jong M, Florea A, Vries AMD, van Nuijs ALN, Covaci A, Van Durme F, Martins JC, Samyn N, De Wael K. Levamisole: a Common Adulterant in Cocaine Street Samples Hindering Electrochemical Detection of Cocaine. Anal Chem 2018; 90:5290-5297. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b00204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mats de Jong
- AXES Research Group, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
- Drugs and Toxicology Department, National Institute for Criminalistics and Criminology, Vilvoordsesteenweg 100, 1120 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Anca Florea
- AXES Research Group, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Anne-Mare de Vries
- NMR and Structure Analysis Group, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S4, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Adrian Covaci
- Toxicological Center, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Filip Van Durme
- Drugs and Toxicology Department, National Institute for Criminalistics and Criminology, Vilvoordsesteenweg 100, 1120 Brussels, Belgium
| | - José C. Martins
- NMR and Structure Analysis Group, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S4, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nele Samyn
- Drugs and Toxicology Department, National Institute for Criminalistics and Criminology, Vilvoordsesteenweg 100, 1120 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Karolien De Wael
- AXES Research Group, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
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10
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Dixon RB, Mbeunkui F, Wiegel JV. Stability study of opioids and benzodiazepines in urine samples by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. J Anal Sci Technol 2015. [DOI: 10.1186/s40543-015-0057-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
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11
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Determination of ecgonine and seven other cocaine metabolites in human urine and whole blood by ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography–quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Anal Bioanal Chem 2013; 405:9805-16. [DOI: 10.1007/s00216-013-7417-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2013] [Revised: 09/06/2013] [Accepted: 10/04/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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12
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Melo P, Bastos ML, Teixeira HM. Benzodiazepine Stability in Postmortem Samples Stored at Different Temperatures. J Anal Toxicol 2012; 36:52-60. [DOI: 10.1093/jat/bkr008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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13
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Castiglioni S, Bagnati R, Melis M, Panawennage D, Chiarelli P, Fanelli R, Zuccato E. Identification of cocaine and its metabolites in urban wastewater and comparison with the human excretion profile in urine. WATER RESEARCH 2011; 45:5141-5150. [PMID: 21824638 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2011.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2011] [Revised: 07/05/2011] [Accepted: 07/13/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The most relevant human urinary metabolites of cocaine (nine metabolites) were measured in urban wastewater in Italy and USA. A novel analytical method based on liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry allowed the identification of ecgonine, ecgonine methyl ester and the pyrolytic derivatives of cocaine in untreated wastewater. The aim of this study was to verify whether the pattern of cocaine metabolites in wastewater reflected the human excretion profile in urine. The performance of the method was good, with recoveries higher than 60% and limits of quantifications in the low ng/L range. The stability in untreated wastewater was assessed for all metabolites and the best storage condition resulted freezing samples immediately after collection and keep them frozen until analysis. All the selected compounds were measured in wastewater at concentrations up to 1.5 μg/L and their weekly loads were calculated during a five weeks monitoring campaign in Milan (Italy). The profiles of cocaine metabolites in wastewater matched with those in human urine reported in the literature, suggesting that measures in wastewater reflect the real human excretion and that wastewater analysis is suitable for assessing drug consumption. Benzoylecgonine was confirmed as the best target for estimating cocaine use by wastewater analysis, while cocaine itself should not be considered because its amount in wastewater is affected by other environmental sources such as transport, handling and consumption. Results suggested that the measurement of other metabolites in combination with benzoylecgonine might reflect 60% of an administered dose of cocaine providing also information on different patterns of use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Castiglioni
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, via La Masa 19, 20156 Milan, Italy.
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14
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Nema T, Chan ECY, Ho PC. Efficiency of a miniaturized silica monolithic cartridge in reducing matrix ions as demonstrated in the simultaneous extraction of morphine and codeine from urine samples for quantification with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY : JMS 2011; 46:891-900. [PMID: 21915953 DOI: 10.1002/jms.1966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Presence of matrix ions could negatively affect the sensitivity and selectivity of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer (LC-MS/MS). In this study, the efficiency of a miniaturized silica monolithic cartridge in reducing matrix ions was demonstrated in the simultaneous extraction of morphine and codeine from urine samples for quantification with LC-MS. The miniaturized silica monolith with hydroxyl groups present on the largely exposed surface area function as a weak cation exchanger for solid phase extraction (SPE). The miniaturized silica cartridge in 1 cm diameter and 0.5 cm length was housed in a 2-ml syringe fixed over a SPE vacuum manifold for extraction. The cleaning effectiveness of the cartridge was confirmed by osmometer, atomic absorption spectrometer, LC-MS and GC-TOFMS. The drugs were efficiently extracted from urine samples with recoveries ranging from 86% to 114%. The extracted analytes, after concentration and reconstitution, were quantified using LC-MS/MS. The limits of detection for morphine and codeine were 2 ng/ml and 1 ng/mL, respectively. The relative standard deviations of measurements ranged from 3% to 12%. The monolithic sorbent offered good linearity with correlation coefficients > 0.99, over a concentration range of 50-500 ng/ml. The silica monolithic cartridge was found to be more robust than the particle-based packed sorbent and also the commercial cartridge with regards to its recyclability and repeated usage with minimal loss in efficiency. Our study demonstrated the efficiency of the miniaturized silica monolith for removal of matrix ions and extraction of drugs of abuse in urinary screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Nema
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543
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15
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Sergi M, Compagnone D, Curini R, D'Ascenzo G, Del Carlo M, Napoletano S, Risoluti R. Micro-solid phase extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of stimulants, hallucinogens, ketamine and phencyclidine in oral fluids. Anal Chim Acta 2010; 675:132-7. [PMID: 20800724 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2010.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2010] [Revised: 07/14/2010] [Accepted: 07/14/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
A confirmatory method for the determination of illicit drugs based on micro-solid phase extraction with modified tips, made of a functionalized fiberglass with apolar chains of octadecylsilane into monolithic structure, has been developed in this study. Drugs belonging to different chemical classes, such as amphetamine, methamphetamine, methylenedioxyamphetamine, methylenedioxyethylamphetamine, methylenedioxymethylamphetamine, cocaine, benzoylecgonine, ketamine, mescaline, phencyclidine and psilocybine were analyzed. The quantitation was performed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and the analytes were detected in positive ionization by means of an electrospray source. The limits of quantification ranged between 0.3 ng mL(-1) for cocaine and 4.9 ng mL(-1) for psilocybine, with coefficients of determination (r(2)) >0.99 for all the analytes as recommended in the guidelines of Society of Forensic Toxicologists-American Association Forensic Sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Sergi
- Department of Food Science, University of Teramo, Via Carlo Lerici 1, 64023 Mosciano Stazione, Teramo, Italy.
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16
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Wood MR, Thompson HW, Brettell TA, Lalancette RA. The hydrated and anhydrous gold(III) tetrachloride salts ofL-ecgonine, an important forensic toxicology marker for cocaine. Acta Crystallogr C 2009; 66:m4-8. [DOI: 10.1107/s0108270109030583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2009] [Accepted: 07/31/2009] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
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17
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Pistos C, Karampela S, Papoutsis I, Athanaselis S, Spiliopoulou C, Maravelias C. Investigation of the identification point system adaptation in cocaine, benzoylecgonine and ecgonine methyl ester using a single quadrupole mass spectrometer. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2009; 23:3772-3780. [PMID: 19902418 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.4312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
At present, no official criteria exist for drug identification using single quadrupole mass spectrometers although the European Union (EU) criteria for compound identification have been adopted. These criteria are evaluated with respect to the confirmation of cocaine and its metabolites by single quadrupole liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) and problems are highlighted. Spiked samples, proficiency testing samples, certified reference materials and samples from real cases that had screened positive for cocaine derivatives by immunoassay were subjected to confirmation by LC/MS using single ion monitoring with in-source fragmentation. The EU criteria for compound identification were applied for the confirmation of cocaine, benzoylecgonine and ecgonine methyl ester. The use of the identification point (IP) system in spiked, proficiency testing samples and certified reference materials provided acceptable results in all cases while in some cases real positive samples did not provide acceptable results. Failure to meet the EU criteria was attributed to low fragmentation at the lower concentrations and the ion suppression effect while both factors affected compliance with the IP system. The identification of cocaine and its metabolites was considerably improved by using a combination of ammonium formate and formic acid as the LC mobile phase. It appears that poor in-source fragmentation in single quadrupole LC/MS and ion suppression may constitute a problem with drug identification when implementing the IP system in real samples, resulting in false negative results. Further investigation is needed for the use of such IP systems to be suitable for use in LC/MS methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Pistos
- Laboratory of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Medical School, University of Athens, Greece.
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Jagerdeo E, Abdel-Rehim M. Screening of cocaine and its metabolites in human urine samples by direct analysis in real-time source coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry after online preconcentration utilizing microextraction by packed sorbent. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2009; 20:891-899. [PMID: 19264505 DOI: 10.1016/j.jasms.2009.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2008] [Revised: 01/11/2009] [Accepted: 01/12/2009] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Microextraction by packed sorbent (MEPS) has been evaluated for fast screening of drugs of abuse with mass spectrometric detection. In this study, C8 (octyl-silica, useful for nonpolar to moderately polar compounds), ENV(+) (hydroxylated polystyrene-divinylbenzene copolymer, for extraction of aliphatic and aromatic polar compounds), Oasis MCX (sulfonic-poly(divinylbenzene-co-N-polyvinyl-pyrrolidone) copolymer), and Clean Screen DAU (mixed mode, ion exchanger for acidic and basic compounds) were used as sorbents for the MEPS. The focus was on fast extraction and preconcentration of the drugs with rapid analysis using a time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer as the detector with direct analysis in a real-time (DART) source. The combination of an analysis time of less than 1 min and accurate mass of the first monoisotopic peak of the analyte and the relative abundances of the peaks in the isotopic clusters provided reliable information for identification. Furthermore, the study sought to demonstrate that it is possible to quantify the analyte of interest using a DART source when an internal standard is used. Of all the sorbents used in the study, Clean Screen DAU performed best for extraction of the analytes from urine. Using Clean Screen DAU to extract spiked samples containing the drugs, linearity was demonstrated for ecgonine methyl ester, benzoylecgonine, cocaine, and cocaethylene with average ranges of: 65-910, 75-1100, 95-1200, and 75-1100 ng/mL (n = 5), respectively. The limits of detection (LOD) for ecgonine methyl ester, benzoylecgonine, cocaine, and cocaethylene were 22.9 ng/mL, 23.7 ng/mL, 4.0 ng/mL, and 9.8 ng/mL respectively, using a signal-to-noise ratio of 3:1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eshwar Jagerdeo
- Federal Bureau of Investigation Laboratory, Quantico, Virginia, USA
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Multiclass analysis of illicit drugs in plasma and oral fluids by LC-MS/MS. Anal Bioanal Chem 2008; 393:709-18. [DOI: 10.1007/s00216-008-2456-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2008] [Revised: 10/01/2008] [Accepted: 10/02/2008] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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Phipps RJ, Smith JJ, Darwin WD, Cone EJ. Chapter 2 Current methods for the separation and analysis of cocaine analytes. HANDBOOK OF ANALYTICAL SEPARATIONS 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/s1567-7192(06)06002-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Johansen SS, Bhatia HM. Quantitative analysis of cocaine and its metabolites in whole blood and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2007; 852:338-44. [PMID: 17301000 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2007.01.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2006] [Revised: 12/19/2006] [Accepted: 01/22/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
AIM In forensic toxicology it is important to have specific and sensitive analysis for quantification of illicit drugs in biological matrices. This paper describes a quantitative method for determination of cocaine and its major metabolites (ecgonine methyl ester, benzoylecgonine, norcocaine and ethylene cocaine) in whole blood and urine by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry LC/MS/MS. METHOD The sample pre-treatment (0.20 g) consisted of acid precipitation, followed by centrifugation and solid phase extraction of supernatant using mixed mode sorbent columns (SPEC MP1 Ansys Diag. Inc.). Chromatographic separation was performed at 30 degrees C on a reverse phase Zorbax C18 column with a gradient system consisting of formic acid, water and acetonitrile. The analysis was performed by positive electrospray ionisation with a triple quadropole mass spectrometer operating in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. Two MRM transitions of each analyte were established and identification criteria were set up based on the retention time and the ion ratio. The quantification was performed using deuterated internal analytes of cocaine, benzoylecgonine and ecgonine methyl ester. The calibration curves of extracted standards were linear over a working range of 0.001-2.00 mg/kg whole blood for all analytes. The limit of quantification was 0.008 mg/kg; the interday precision (measured by relative standard deviation-%RSD) was less than 10% and the accuracy (BIAS) less than 12% for all analytes in whole blood. Urine samples were estimated semi-quantitatively at a cut-off level of 0.15 mg/kg with an interday precision of 15%. CONCLUSION A liquid chromatography mass spectrometric (LC/MS/MS) method has been developed for confirmation and quantification of cocaine and its metabolites (ecgonine methyl ester, benzoylecgonine, norcocaine and ethylene cocaine) in whole blood and semi-quantitative in urine. The method is specific and sensitive and offers thereby an excellent alternative to other methods such as GC-MS that involves derivatisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sys Stybe Johansen
- Department of Forensic Chemistry, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Frederik V's vej 11, DK-2100 Copenhagen OE, Denmark.
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Duer WC, Spitz DJ, McFarland S. Relationships Between Concentrations of Cocaine and Its Hydrolysates in Peripheral Blood, Heart Blood, Vitreous Humor and Urine. J Forensic Sci 2006; 51:421-5. [PMID: 16566784 DOI: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2006.00063.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Cocaine is known to degrade in vivo and in vitro by several hydrolytic mechanisms. A previous study found that the initial amount of cocaine added to plasma could be accounted for by summing the molar concentrations of cocaine's hydrolysis products and the cocaine remaining after hydrolysis. The present study was undertaken to investigate whether or not relationships might exist between such molar concentration sums for different postmortem bodily fluids. Determinations of cocaine, benzoylecgonine, ecgonine methyl ester, and ecgonine were performed using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) with heart blood, femoral blood, vitreous humor (VH), and urine (UR). The results demonstrate a strong correlation between blood and VH concentrations (correlation coefficients of 0.88-0.94), weak correlation between the UR and blood concentrations (correlation coefficients of 0.61-0.64), and weak correlation between UR and VH concentrations (correlation coefficient of 0.59). The results demonstrate that ecgonine is a significant hydrolysate with concentrations on the same order of magnitude as benzoylecgonine. The results are consistent with rapid distribution of the parent drug and its hydrolysates in the blood and VH. The strong correlation between the blood and VH demonstrates that VH is an important medium for toxicology testing when attempting to make a determination of cocaine intoxication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wayne C Duer
- Hillsborough County Medical Examiner Department, College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33602, USA.
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Concheiro M, de Castro A, Quintela O, López-Rivadulla M, Cruz A. Determination of drugs of abuse and their metabolites in human plasma by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2006; 832:81-9. [PMID: 16436334 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2005.12.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2005] [Revised: 12/21/2005] [Accepted: 12/22/2005] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
A method, using 0.2 ml of plasma, was designed for the simultaneous determination of morphine, 6-monoacetylmorphine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDA, MDMA, MDEA, MBDB, benzoylecgonine and cocaine. The drugs were analysed by LC-MS, after solid phase extraction in the presence of the deuterated analogues. Reversed phase separation on an Atlantis dC18 column was achieved in 10 min, under gradient conditions. The method was full validated, including linearity (2-250 ng/ml, r2>0.99), recovery (>50%), within-day and between-day precision and accuracy (CV and bias <15%), limit of detection (0.5 and 1 ng/ml) and quantitation (2 ng/ml), relative ion intensities and no matrix effect was observed. The procedure showed to be sensitive and specific, and was applied to 156 real cases from road fatalities (7.1% cases positive to cocaine and 0.6% to designer drugs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Concheiro
- Forensic Toxicology Service, Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, C/San Francisco s/n, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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Abstract
The preanalytic phase has been recognized to have a substantial role for the quality and reliability of analytical results, which very much depend on the type and quality of specimens provided. There are several unique challenges to select and collect specimens for postmortem toxicology investigation. Postmortem specimens may be numerous, and sample quality may be quite variable. An overview is given on specimens routinely collected as well as on alternative specimens that may provide additional information on the route of administration, a long term or a recent use/exposure to a drug or poison. Autolytic and putrefactive changes limit the selection and utility of specimens. Some data from case reports as well as experimental investigations on drug degradation and/or formation during putrefaction are discussed. Diffusion processes as well as postmortem degradation or formation may influence ethanol concentration in autopsy specimens. Formalin fixation of specimens or embalmment of the corpse may cause considerable changes of initial drug levels. These changes are due to alterations of the biological matrix as well as to dilution of a sample, release or degradation of the drug or poison. Most important seems a conversion of desmethyl metabolites to the parent drug. Some general requirements for postmortem sampling are given based on references about specimen collection issues, for a harmonized protocol for sampling in suspected poisonings or drug-related deaths does not exist. The advantages and disadvantages of specimen preservation are shortly discussed. Storage stability is another important issue to be considered. Instability can either derive from physical, chemical or metabolic processes. The knowledge on degradation mechanisms may enable the forensic toxicologist to target the right substance, which may be a major break down product in the investigation of highly labile compounds. Although it is impossible to eliminate all interfering factors or influences occurring during the preanalytic phase, their consideration should facilitate the assessment of sample quality and the analytical result obtained from that sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Skopp
- Institut für Rechtsmedizin und Verkehrsmedizin, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität, Vossstr. 2, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany.
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Thieme D, Sachs H. Improved screening capabilities in forensic toxicology by application of liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Anal Chim Acta 2003. [DOI: 10.1016/s0003-2670(03)00563-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Affiliation(s)
- T A Brettell
- Forensic Science Laboratory Bureau, New Jersey State Police, Box 7068, West Trenton, New Jersey 08628-0068, USA
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Current awareness in phytochemical analysis. PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS : PCA 2002; 13:55-62. [PMID: 11899608 DOI: 10.1002/pca.617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
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28
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Current literature in mass spectrometry. JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY : JMS 2002; 37:119-132. [PMID: 11813320 DOI: 10.1002/jms.248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
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