Ej. Cone et al., SIMULTANEOUS MEASUREMENT OF COCAINE, COCAETHYLENE, THEIR METABOLITES,AND CRACK PYROLYSIS PRODUCTS BY GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY MASS-SPECTROMETRY, Clinical chemistry, 40(7), 1994, pp. 1299-1305
We developed a sensitive and specific assay for the simultaneous measu
rement of cocaine, cocaethylene, six of their metabolites, and anhydro
ecgonine methyl ester, a pyrolysis product, in biological fluids. The
assay involves solid-phase extraction columns containing a copolymeric
bonded phase for isolation of cocaine analytes, derivatization with N
,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide and 10 g/L trimethylchlorosil
ane, and measurement with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry operati
ng in the selected-ion monitoring mode. Detector responses for analyte
s were linear over a concentration range of 3.1-1000 mu g/L. The limit
s of detection were similar to 1 mu g/L for cocaine, ecgonine methyl e
ster, and benzoylecgonine and 3-6 mu g/L for the remaining analytes. H
ydrolysis of cocaine and artifact formation of anhydroecgonine methyl
ester during extraction and assay was <1%. Cocaine and its derivatives
appear in different proportions in plasma, saliva, and urine accordin
g to the biological fluid and time of measurement. Each biological flu
id provides unique information on the disposition of cocaine in human
subjects.