Direct derivatization of drugs in untreated biological samples for gas chromatographic analysis

Direct extract derivatization for determination of amino acids in human urine by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry

The purpose of this study was to develop a simple and accurate analytical method to determine amino acids in urine samples. The developed method involves the employment of an extract derivatization technique together with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Urine samples (300 microl) and an internal standard (10 microl) were placed in a screw tube. Ethylchloroformate (50 microl), methanol-pyridine (500 microl, 4:1, v/v) and chloroform (1 ml) were added to the tube. The organic layer (1 microl) was injected to a GC-MS system. In this proposed method, the amino acids in urine were derivatized during an extraction, and the analytes were then injected to GC-MS without an evaporation of the organic solvent extracted. Sample preparation was only required for ca. 5 min. The 15 amino acids (alanine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, tyrosine, tryptophan, valine) quantitatively determined in this proposed method. However, threonine, serine, asparagine, glutamine, arginine were not derivatized using any tested derivatizing reagent. The calibration curves showed linearity in the range of 1.0-300 microg/ml for each amino acid in urine. The correlation coefficients of the calibration curves of the tested amino acids were from 0.966 to 0.998. The limit of detection in urine was 0.5 microg/ml except for aspartic acid. This proposed method demonstrated substantial accuracy for detection of normal levels. This proposed method was limited for the determination of 15 amino acids in urine. However, the sample preparation was simple and rapid, and this method is suitable for a routine analysis of amino acids in urine.

Introduction to the application of capillary gas chromatography of performance-enhancing drugs in doping control

Performance-enhancing drugs banned by antidoping rules are detected in doping control preferably by hyphenated chromatographic techniques, capillary gas chromatography in particular. Based on the prohibited classes of substances and on the general aspects of sample collection and preparation, a survey is given about the usual procedures of screening, identification and confirmation of the most important doping agents: stimulants, narcotics, anabolics, diuretics, beta-blockers. In addition to gas chromatography itself, the application of various MS techniques doping is outlined.

Derivatization procedures for gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric determination of xenobiotics in biological samples, with special attention to drugs of abuse and doping agents

The development of low cost MS detectors in recent years has promoted an important increase in the applicability of GC-MS system to analyze for the presence of foreign substances in the human body. Drugs and toxic agents are in vivo metabolized in such a way that more polar compounds are usually formed. Derivatization of these metabolites is often an unavoidable requirement for gas chromatographic analysis. Application of derivatization methods in recent years has been relevant, especially for silylation, acylation, alkylation and the formation of cyclic or diastereomeric derivatives. Given the relevance of drug of abuse testing in modern toxicology, main derivatization procedures for opiates, cocaine, cannabis, amphetamines, benzodiazepines and LSD have been reviewed. Papers describing the analyses of drugs of abuse in matrixes other than blood, such as hair or sweat, have received special attention. Advances in derivatization for sports drug testing have been particularly relevant for anabolic steroids, diuretics and corticosteroids. Among the several methodologies applied, the formation of trimethylsilyl, perfluoroacyl or methylated derivatives have proved to be both versatile and extensively used. Further advances in derivatization for GC-MS applications in clinical and forensic toxicology will depend on the one hand on the degree of further use of GC-MS for routine applications and, on the other hand, on the alternative progress made for developments in LC-MS or CE-MS. Last but not least, the appearance of comprehensive libraries in which reference spectra for different derivatives of many drugs and their metabolites are collected will have an important impact on the expansion of derivatization in GC-MS for toxicological applications.

Mirror images: the analysis of pharmaceutical enantiomers

Pharmaceutical enantiomers often exhibit different pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties. Stereospecific chromatographic assays are available to separate these stereoisomers. Therapeutic agents often contain chemical functional groups (e.g. amino, hydroxyl, carbonyl, and carboxylic acid). These can be reacted with enantiomerically pure reagents to give diastereoisomers suitable for analysis on achiral gas chromatographic (GC) and high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) columns. Alternatively, derivatized or underivatized drugs may be resolved on chiral chromatographic phases. A wide variety of GC (e.g. amino acid, cyclodextrin, and metal-complex) and HPLC (mobile phase additive, crown ether, pi-pi interaction and related phases, protein, cyclodextrin, polysaccharide, methacrylate and amide polymer, and ligand exchange) columns are commercially available. This article reviews the chromatographic separation of enantiomers.

Liquid chromatographic analysis of atenolol enantiomers in human plasma and urine

A sensitive, stereospecific high-performance liquid chromatographic assay of atenolol (AT) enantiomers in human plasma and urine was developed. After addition of internal standard (IS, methoxamine) and alkalinization of the plasma, the drug and IS were extracted with ethyl acetate. The organic layer was evaporated and, after addition of saturated sodium carbonate, the residue was derivatized with (-)-menthyl chloroformate at ambient temperature; the reaction was complete within 30 s, with an efficiency of 97.2 +/- 2.6%. The diastereomeric derivatives of AT and IS were then extracted into chloroform and analyzed on a C18 column with a mobile phase consisting of water: acetonitrile: methanol. The samples were detected utilizing a fluorescent detector. Water-diluted urine samples were derivatized directly and then subjected to the same procedure as plasma. Under these conditions, AT diastereomers were separated with a resolution factor of 1.94, free of any interfering peak. An excellent linear relationship (r greater than or equal to 0.998) was obtained between the peak area ratios and the corresponding concentrations in the ranges 12.5-250 and 250-2500 ng/mL for plasma and urine, respectively. The applicability of the method is demonstrated by analysis of plasma and urine concentrations of individual enantiomers of AT after oral administration of a single 100-mg dose to a healthy subject.

Sample preparation for biomedical analysis

A review of sample preparation techniques for biomedical analysis is presented. Firstly, sample preparation techniques can be divided into unit operations which can be classified into four groups: release of the analyte from the matrix, removal of endogenous material, liquid handling procedures and the enhancement of selectivity and sensitivity. The concept of unit operations gives an analyst a tool with which to evaluate critically any method for preparing a sample for analysis. Secondly, the major techniques of sample preparation (protein precipitation, liquid-liquid extraction, liquid-solid extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography, HPLC) are discussed and their advantages and disadvantages presented. Thirdly, the rationale for the automation of sample preparation is reviewed; in general liquid-solid extraction and HPLC are the best techniques for automation. The means by which this can be effected (either flexible or dedicated automation) is discussed. Finally, techniques such as supercritical fluid extraction, micellar liquid chromatography, microwave energy and immunoextraction which may be applied to biomedical sample preparation are evaluated briefly.