Detection of laxative abuse by urine analysis with HPLC and diode array detection

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Toxicology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Stimulant laxatives, including diphenylmethane derivatives and anthraquinones, are widely used.
• Accurate detection of these substances and their metabolites in biological samples is essential for clinical and forensic toxicology.
• Existing methods may lack simplicity or comprehensive coverage of available laxatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a simple, standardized method for analyzing stimulant laxatives and their metabolites in human urine.
• To include all stimulant laxatives commercially available in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
• To establish a reliable method for toxicological screening and detection of laxative abuse.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a standardized isocratic High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) system with diode array detection (DAD), termed 'STIP'.
• Included a comprehensive range of stimulant laxatives (diphenylmethane derivatives and anthraquinones) available in key European markets.
• Validated the method through controlled ingestion of laxatives by human volunteers and analysis of patient samples.

Main Results:

• The proposed HPLC-DAD method successfully detected expected laxative metabolites in urine samples from volunteers within twelve hours of intake.
• The method demonstrated effectiveness in analyzing urine samples from patients suspected of laxative abuse.
• The STIP method proved to be a simple and reliable tool for routine toxicological screening.

Conclusions:

• The developed simple HPLC-DAD method provides effective analysis of stimulant laxatives and their metabolites in urine.
• This method is suitable for toxicological screening and the detection of laxative abuse.
• The validated approach ensures reliable identification of laxative intake, even at low doses or after short intervals.