Use of high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection in forensic toxicology

Area of Science:

• Forensic Toxicology
• Analytical Chemistry
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Accurate drug analysis in postmortem biological fluids is crucial for forensic investigations.
• Existing methods may face challenges with complex matrices and co-eluting compounds.
• A robust and reliable analytical technique is needed for comprehensive drug screening.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a comprehensive analytical method for drug detection in postmortem blood and biofluids.
• To improve the selectivity and sensitivity of drug quantitation in complex biological samples.
• To establish a spectral library for efficient drug identification.

Main Methods:

• High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with diode array detection (DAD).
• Selective back-extraction techniques to minimize interference.
• Development of a stable, isocratic mobile phase (acetonitrile, phosphoric acid, triethylamine buffer, pH 3.4).
• Utilized two reversed-phase columns (Supelcosil biphenyl and LiChrospher RP-8).

Main Results:

• A reliable method for screening and quantitating 272 drugs was established.
• The developed isocratic mobile phase proved stable, reliable, and convenient.
• A comprehensive UV spectral library (210-367 nm) was created for drug identification.
• The method demonstrated applicability to whole blood and complex forensic cases.

Conclusions:

• The developed HPLC-DAD method provides a comprehensive approach for drug analysis in postmortem samples.
• Selective back-extraction and multicomponent analysis enhance qualitative and quantitative accuracy.
• This technique is suitable for routine forensic toxicology and complex case analysis.