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High throughput chiral analysis of urinary amphetamines by GC-MS using a short narrow-bore capillary column

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Abstract

We report very rapid and simultaneous chiral analysis of urinary amphetamine-type stimulants (ATSs), including amphetamine, methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, and 3,4-methylenedioxyethylamphetamine, using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with a simple procedure. A urine sample containing ATSs was subjected to extractive derivatization on a diatomaceous earth tube with trifluoroacetyl-l-prolyl chloride in a single step. The concentrated sample was analyzed by GC-MS, using a short narrow-bore capillary column (10 m × 0.1 mm i.d.) in split injection mode. All chiral isomers of the ATSs targeted in this study were chromatographically distinguishable within 5 min. By our method, ATSs in urine could be measured in the concentration range of 20–1000 ng/ml with coefficients of variation of less than 9%. Our method will be very useful for chiral analysis of ATSs in routine forensic toxicology investigations, because of its simplicity and rapidity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, 7-45-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan

    Hiroshi Fujii, Kenji Hara, Masayuki Kashiwagi, Aya Matsusue & Shin-ichi Kubo

  2. General Medical Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan

    Mitsuyoshi Kageura

  3. Kyushu Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare, Narcotics Control Department, Fukuoka, Japan

    Hiroshi Fujii

Authors
  1. Hiroshi Fujii
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  2. Kenji Hara
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  3. Mitsuyoshi Kageura
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  4. Masayuki Kashiwagi
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  5. Aya Matsusue
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  6. Shin-ichi Kubo
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Correspondence to Shin-ichi Kubo.

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Fujii, H., Hara, K., Kageura, M. et al. High throughput chiral analysis of urinary amphetamines by GC-MS using a short narrow-bore capillary column. Forensic Toxicol 27, 75–80 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11419-009-0073-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11419-009-0073-2

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