Determination of urinary succinylacetone by capillary gas chromatography

The average analytical recovery of succinylacetone added to urine and separated by capillary gas chromatography was 69% for solvent extraction and 72% for anion exchange separation. Treating succinylacetone with hydroxylamine hydrochloride at a pH of less than 5 caused formation of a derivative separated by capillary gas chromatography into two isomers: 3-methyl-5- isoxazole propionate and 5-methyl-3- isoxazole propionate as their trimethylsilyl derivatives (molecular weight 227). In a pH greater than or equal to 5, succinylacetone dioxime was formed and separated into 3 isomers as their trimethylsilyl derivatives (molecular weight 404). Succinylacetone dioxime was converted to 3(5)-methyl-(3)5- isoxazole propionate whenever the pH of the solution was dropped to less than 5. Mass spectra of both derivatives are shown. This study demonstrates that capillary gas chromatography is suitable for use in urinary succinylacetone determination.