Pichini Simona, Pacifici Roberta, Pellegrini Manuela, Marchei Emilia, Lozano Jaime, Murillo Janeth, Vall Oriol, García-Algar Oscar
Drug Research and Control Department, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy.
Anal Chem. 2004 Apr 1;76(7):2124-32. doi: 10.1021/ac035419x.
A procedure based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is described for determination of amphetamine, methamphetamine, and methylendioxy derivatives in meconium, using 3,4-methylendioxypropylamphetamine as internal standard. The analytes were initially extracted from the matrix by 17 mM methanolic HCl. Subsequently, a solid-phase extraction with Bondelut Certify columns was applied. Chromatography was performed on a C(18) reversed-phase column using a linear gradient of 10 mM ammonium bicarbonate, pH 9.0-methanol as a mobile phase. Analytes were determined in LC-MS single ion monitoring mode with an atmospheric pressure ionization-electrospray interface. The method was validated in the range 0.005-1.00 microg/g using 1 g of meconium per assay. Mean recoveries ranged between 61.1 and 87.2% for different analytes. The quantification limits were 0.005 microg/g meconium for amphetamine, methamphetamine, and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxymethamphetamine and 0.004 microg/g meconium for 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxyethylamphetamine, and N-methyl-1-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-2-butanamine. The method was applied to analysis of meconium in newborns to assess eventual fetal exposure to amphetamine derivatives.
