Forensic toxicologic analysis of methamphetamine and amphetamine optical isomers by high performance liquid chromatography

Abstract

Optical isomers (d and l) and racemic compounds (dl) of methamphetamine (MAMP) and amphetamine (AMP), and biologic materials including those substances, could be analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography. Examining the temperature for the analysis, 40 degrees C was the optimal condition in the reproducibility of separated MAMP-isomers. The reproducibility at the temperature did not vary significantly. The measured values of optical isomers were 0.116 +/- 0.012, 1.082 +/- 0.070 and 8.984 +/- 0.136 for the mixing ratios (l/d) of 0.111, 1.000, and 9.000, respectively. The detection limit for both d- and l-isomers was 25 ng. The analytic result of hair specimens from two stimulant abusers by the present method indicates that they contained only d-MAMP and d-AMP, which is believed to have the strongest pharmacologic effect among the optical isomers of MAMP. The coefficient of variation in the analysis of five replicate standards, prepared by adding 1,000 ng each of racemate MAMP and AMP to hair, was less than 4%. The measured value against l/d = 1.000 was 1.040 +/- 0.040 in MAMP and 0.980 +/- 0.030 in AMP. The detection limit for both racemate MAMP and AMP accumulated in hair was 250 ng. The analysis of the optical isomers by our method would contribute to identifying the smuggling routes or the illicit method.

Enantiomer-specific high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection of methamphetamines in abusers' hair and urine

“…Among biological samples, hair, into which compounds found in the body, including xenobiotics, are incorporated during the anagen phase of its life cycle, is an excellent alternative because of its physical status, availability, ease of collection and storage, biological stability and the absence of drug metabolism in it. Several HPLC methods for the determination of MPs enantiomers in urine or serum have been reported in the literature, but those applied to hair samples are, to the best of our knowledge, rather rare (Nagai et al, 1988(Nagai et al, , 1989. Recently, chiral analysis of MPs in hair by capillary electrophoresis has also been reported (Scarcella et al, 1997;Tagliaro et al, 1998).…”

Analysis of methamphetamine and its metabolites in hair

“…The concentrations of D-MA and D-AP in the hairs of D-MA-addicts have also been reported (Nagai et al, 1988(Nagai et al, , 1989Al-Dirbashi et al, 1999a, 2000. However, there is no data on the concentrations of D-, L-MA and D-, L-AP in the hairs of MA addicts who used a mixture of D-and L-MA (i.e.…”

“…Table 2 summarizes the HPLC, LC/MS and capillary electrophoresis (CE) methods used to detect MA and AP. Nagai et al (1988Nagai et al ( , 1989 detected D-MA and D-AP in the hairs of D-MA addicts by HPLC/UV with a chiral separation column. Scarcella et al (1997) developed chiral analysis of MA and AP in hairs (non-MA addict data) by CE/UV using b-cyclodextrin as a chiral selector.…”

“…After neutralizing the hydrochloric acid mixture of hairs with sodium hydroxide, MA and AP were directly detected by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) (Nagai et al, 1988(Nagai et al, , 1989. MA was measured by radioimmunoassay (Kimura et al, 1999a) and fluorescence polarization immunoassay (Kintz et al, 1992a).…”

“Breaking Bad” Television Series Explained to Students

“…The pure isomer (S)-pseudoephedrine was transformed into (S)-methyl-amphetamine by reduction in presence of iodine and red phosphorus. In early episodes Walt and Jessie produced methamphetamine using the Nagai method, the first recorded methamphetamine synthesis, 15,16 which involves the reduction of pseudoephedrine with hydro iodic acid (HI) to give methamphetamine. Red phosphorus is necessary to reduce elemental iodine (I 2 ), extracted from disinfectants, to HI and to recycle reformed I 2 ; it is collected from matchbook striker pads or road flares which contain red phosphorous.…”