[The detection of tramadol and its metabolites in urine by chromatographic methods]

The authors recommend detecting a compound drug tramadol and its metabolites in urinary extracts by thin-layer, gas-chromatographic, high-pressure liquid, and other chromatographic methods. The metabolites were identified with due consideration for their fragmentation during an electron strike thereof and their trimethylsilyl derivatives, mobility during separation in a thin layer, and results of selective extraction at various pH. The proposed scheme of biotransformation includes the formation of products of O- and N- demethylation, N, N- and N,O-didemethylation and hydroxylation of the cyclohexane fragment. The Rf metabolite values and their mass spectra are presented. During gas chromatographic analysis at an evaporator temperature at least 250 degrees C tramadol undergoes thermal destruction with the formation of water molecules and cyclohexane structure.