Quantification of methamphetamine, amphetamine and enantiomers by semi-micro column HPLC with fluorescence detection; applications on abusers' single hair analyses

• Published in: Biomedical chromatography 2000-08, Vol.14 (5), p.293-300
• Main Authors: Al-Dirbashi, Osama Y., Kuroda, Naotaka, Wada, Mitsuhiro, Takahashi, Masakatsu, Nakashima, Kenichiro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amphetamine - analysis; Amphetamine - chemistry; Calibration; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid - instrumentation; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid - methods; Hair - chemistry; Humans; Methamphetamine - analysis; Methamphetamine - chemistry; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Spectrometry, Fluorescence; Stereoisomerism; Substance Abuse Detection - methods
• ISSN: 0269-3879; 1099-0801
• DOI: 10.1002/1099-0801(200008)14:5<293::AID-BMC2>3.0.CO;2-K

Achiral and chiral semi‐micro column high‐performance liquid chromatographic methods with fluorescence detection to determine methamphetamine and amphetamine in human hair are described. These compounds were extracted into 5% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in methanol, derivatized with 4‐(4,5‐diphenyl‐1H‐imidazol‐2‐yl)‐benzoyl chloride and separated either on a 250 × 1.5 mm i.d. octadecyl‐silane (ODS) or a 150 × 2 mm i.d. OD‐RH column. Linear calibration curves extending over a wide range of concentration that covers the practical samples were obtained for amphetamine, methamphetamine and their enantiomers (r = 0.999). Resolution values for amphetamine and methamphetamine enantiomers were 3.4 and 1.1, respectively. Intra‐ and inter‐day variations of both the methods were not larger than 8.9% expressed as relative standard deviations (n ≥ 5). The limits of detection at a signal‐to‐noise ratio of 3 obtained by both the methods were in the range of 1.0–4.7 fmol/5 µL injection with the achiral method being more sensitive. Abusers' hair samples were analyzed by the two methods and only the S(+)‐enantiomers were found in eight Japanese abusers' hair samples. The achiral method was used to study the concentrations of these compounds in single black and white hair strands of abusers. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.