Cocaine is currently one of the most widespread abuse drugs in the world. Since hair cocaine concentrations are a reliable marker of exposition to the drug, an original liquid chromatographic method has been developed for the determination of cocaine in human hair. The chromatographic analysis was carried out on a Hydro-RP C18 column, using a mobile phase containing a phosphate buffer (pH 3.0) - acetonitrile - methanol (75:15:10, v/v/v). Native cocaine fluorescence was monitored at 315 nm while exciting at 230 nm. Mirtazapine was used as the internal standard. Sample pre-treatment was carried out by incubative extraction with 0.1 M HCl followed by solid-phase extraction with C2 cartridges. Good linearity was obtained over a working range of 0.3-100.0 ng/mg. Both extraction yields (> 90%) and precision values (RSD < 6.2%) were highly satisfactory. The method was successfully applied to hair samples collected from cocaine users. Thus, the method is suitable for the long-term monitoring of cocaine use by means of hair testing.
L. Mercolini, R. Mandrioli, B. Saladini, M. Conti, C. Baccini, M.A. Raggi (2008). Quantitative analysis of cocaine in human hair by HPLC with fluorescence detection. JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL AND BIOMEDICAL ANALYSIS, 48(2), 456-461 [10.1016/j.jpba.2008.02.007].
Quantitative analysis of cocaine in human hair by HPLC with fluorescence detection
MERCOLINI, LAURA;MANDRIOLI, ROBERTO;SALADINI, BRUNO;RAGGI, MARIA AUGUSTA
2008
Abstract
Cocaine is currently one of the most widespread abuse drugs in the world. Since hair cocaine concentrations are a reliable marker of exposition to the drug, an original liquid chromatographic method has been developed for the determination of cocaine in human hair. The chromatographic analysis was carried out on a Hydro-RP C18 column, using a mobile phase containing a phosphate buffer (pH 3.0) - acetonitrile - methanol (75:15:10, v/v/v). Native cocaine fluorescence was monitored at 315 nm while exciting at 230 nm. Mirtazapine was used as the internal standard. Sample pre-treatment was carried out by incubative extraction with 0.1 M HCl followed by solid-phase extraction with C2 cartridges. Good linearity was obtained over a working range of 0.3-100.0 ng/mg. Both extraction yields (> 90%) and precision values (RSD < 6.2%) were highly satisfactory. The method was successfully applied to hair samples collected from cocaine users. Thus, the method is suitable for the long-term monitoring of cocaine use by means of hair testing.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
