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Determination of cocaine and heroin with their respective metabolites in meconium by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry
Author(s) -
López P.,
Bermejo A. M.,
Tabernero M. J.,
Fernández P.,
Álvarez I.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of applied toxicology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.784
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1099-1263
pISSN - 0260-437X
DOI - 10.1002/jat.1227
Subject(s) - benzoylecgonine , meconium , chromatography , chemistry , gas chromatography–mass spectrometry , codeine , mass spectrometry , detection limit , gas chromatography , solid phase extraction , analyte , morphine , metabolite , medicine , pharmacology , fetus , pregnancy , biochemistry , biology , genetics
Abstract The analysis of meconium specimens is a relatively accurate method for the detection of fetal exposure to drugs. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a method for meconium sample preparation for a gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) confirmation of meconium extracts for cocaine, benzoylecgonine, codeine, morphine and 6‐monoacetylmorphine. The analytes were initially extracted from the matrix by methanol. Subsequently a solid‐phase extraction with Waters Oasis ® HLB cartridges was applied. Analytes were determined in GC‐MS single monitoring mode. The method was validated in the range 40–2000 ng g −1 using 0.5 g of meconium per assay. The detector response was linear over the studied range, and limits of quantitation and detection were found to be acceptable. Intra‐ and inter‐batch coefficients of variation oscillated between 2.54% and 20.5%, and mean relative errors were in the range 0.79%–19.9%. The recoveries were higher than 42.1% in all cases. Finally the method was applied to analysis of meconium in newborns to assess fetal exposure to cocaine and opiates. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.