engleski

Simultaneous quantitation of morphine, codeine, heroin, 6-acetylmorphine, methadone, and cocaine in hair; analysis of hair in drug abusers

Drugs of abuse analysis is possible in many biological specimens. Hair testing for drugs of abuse has the advantage of prolonged detection over blood, saliva or urine. A gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method (GC/MS) for simultaneous quantitation of methadone, cocaine, codeine, heroin, 6-acetylmorphine and morphine in hair is presented. The method includes hair washing (decontamination) in dichloromethane, cutting, incubation in methanol, solid-phase extraction, and derivatization by a mixture of propionic acid anhydride and pyridine. The method is reproducible (relative standard deviation 6.3-16.1%), accurate (87.5-100.6%), and sensitive (the limit of detection 0.05-0.30 ng/mg). The analytically validated method was applied in the analysis of hair in drug abusers (n=19). Predominant analytes were morphine (63.2%) and 6-acetylmorphine (57.9%) with concentrations in the range 0.42-2.63 and 0.95-4.59 ng-mg, respectively. Heroin and codeine were found in four hair samples; methadone was present in three and cocaine in two samples. The application of the described method confirmed consumption of heroin in 12 of 19 subjects who confessed to occasional use of heroin. The obtained results revealed several difficulties in interpretation. Hair is not of uniform composition, drug entry into hair is not limited to the root, there are differences in hair growth. Cosmetic treatments, purity of the taken drug, and hair color affect a concentration of drugs of abuse in hair. A positive finding of drugs of abuse in hair reflects chronic/repetitive consumption and the time of consumption or taken quantity is impossible to establish with safety.

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