High throughput chiral analysis of urinary amphetamines by GC-MS using a short narrow-bore capillary column

Abstract

We report very rapid and simultaneous chiral analysis of urinary amphetamine-type stimulants (ATSs), including amphetamine, methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, and 3,4-methylenedioxyethylamphetamine, using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with a simple procedure. A urine sample containing ATSs was subjected to extractive derivatization on a diatomaceous earth tube with trifluoroacetyl-l-prolyl chloride in a single step. The concentrated sample was analyzed by GC-MS, using a short narrow-bore capillary column (10 m × 0.1 mm i.d.) in split injection mode. All chiral isomers of the ATSs targeted in this study were chromatographically distinguishable within 5 min. By our method, ATSs in urine could be measured in the concentration range of 20–1000 ng/ml with coefficients of variation of less than 9%. Our method will be very useful for chiral analysis of ATSs in routine forensic toxicology investigations, because of its simplicity and rapidity.