AUTOMATED ONLINE DIALYSIS AND LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY OF METHYLENEDIOXYLATED AMPHETAMINES IN PLASMA AND SERUM SAMPLES

An automated on-line dialysis coupled to a trace enrichment method has been developed for the separation and quantification of four methylen edioxylated amphetamines in serum and plasma, using liquid chromatogra phy coupled to a fluorimetric detector. The on-line dialysis method wa s optimized and validated on fresh human serum and plasma samples. Thi s sample preparation method allowed the quantification of methylenedio xylated amphetamines in serum or plasma, at concentrations as low as c a. 10 ng ml(-1), with good repeatability, reproducibility and accuracy . The automated on-line dialysis method took less than 30 min. This me thod was applied to seven toxicological cases and results showed that the concentration of methylenedioxylated amphetamines in blood was in the range of 20-484 ng ml(-1). (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V. All righ ts reserved.