Quantification of 3,4-methylenedioxymetamphetamine and its metabolites in plasma and urine by gas chromatography with nitrogen-phosphorus detection

A gas chromatographic method with nitrogen-phosphorus detection involving a solid-liquid extraction phase was developed and validated for the simultan eous quantification of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and 3,4-met hylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) in plasma. A modification of this method was v alidated for the analysis of MDMA, MDA, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxymethamphetamine (HMMA) and, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyamphetamine (HMA) in urine. Under the analyt ical conditions described, the limits of detection in plasma and urine were less than 1.6 mu g/l and 47 mu g/l, respectively, for all the compounds st udied. Good linearity was observed in the concentration range evaluated in plasma (5-400 mu g/l) and urine (100-2000 mu g/l) for all compounds tested. The recoveries obtained from plasma were 85.1% and 91.6% for MDMA and MDA, respectively. Urine recoveries were higher than 90% for MDMA and MDA, 74% for HMMA, and 64% for HMA. Methods have been successfully used in the asses sment of plasma and urine concentrations of MDMA and its main metabolites i n samples from clinical studies in healthy volunteers. (C) 1999 Elsevier Sc ience B.V. All rights reserved.