Single hair analysis of methamphetamine and amphetamine by solid phase microextraction coupled with in matrix...

Area of Science:

• Forensic Toxicology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Drug abuse, particularly methamphetamine (MA) and amphetamine (AP), poses significant public health challenges.
• Accurate detection of MA and AP in biological matrices like human hair is crucial for diagnosis and legal investigations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a sensitive and reliable method for quantifying MA and AP in human hair.
• To validate the method for potential use in clinical and medico-legal contexts.

Main Methods:

• Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) combined with one-pot derivatization using propylchloroformate.
• Gas chromatography (GC) for separation and detection of N-propoxycarbonyl derivatives.
• Use of pentadeuterated MA as an internal standard for accurate quantification.

Main Results:

• Achieved absolute recoveries of 2.80-17.5% for MA and AP in spiked hair samples.
• Demonstrated linearity in calibration curves for MA (0.05-20 ng/0.08 mg/vial) and AP (0.1-20 ng/0.08 mg/vial).
• Established low detection limits (S/N = 3) of 0.02 ng/0.08 mg/vial for MA and 0.05 ng/0.08 mg/vial for AP.

Conclusions:

• The developed SPME and one-pot derivatization method offers high sensitivity and reliability for MA and AP detection in human hair.
• The method's applicability was demonstrated in segmental analysis for MA intoxication cases.
• This technique provides a valuable tool for forensic toxicology and clinical drug monitoring.