SIMULTANEOUS ASSAY OF COCAINE, HEROIN AND METABOLITES IN HAIR, PLASMA, SALIVA AND URINE BY GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY MASS-SPECTROMETRY

As part of an ongoing research program on the development of drug dete ction methodology, we developed an assay for the simultaneous measurem ent of cocaine, heroin and metabolites in plasma, saliva, urine and ha ir by solid-phase extraction (SPE) and gas chromatography-mass spectro metry (GC-MS). The analytes that could be measured by this assay were the following: anhydroecgonine methyl ester; ecgonine methyl ester; ec gonine ethyl ester; cocaine; cocaethylene; benzoylecgonine; cocaethyle ne; norcocaethylene; benzoylnorecgonine; codeine; morphine; norcodeine ; 6-acetylmorphine; normorphine; and heroin. Liquid specimens were dil uted, filtered and then extracted by SPE. Additional handling steps we re necessary for the analysis of hair samples. An initial wash procedu re was utilized to remove surface contaminants. Washed hair samples we re extracted with methanol overnight at 40 degrees C. Both wash and ex tract fractions were collected, evaporated and purified by SPE. All ex tracts were evaporated, derivatized with N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)triflu oroacetamide (BSTFA) with 1% trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS) and analyzed by GC-MS. The limit of detection (LOD) for cocaine, heroin and metabo lites in biological specimens was approximately 1 ng/ml with the excep tion of norcodeine, normorphine and benzoylnorecgonine (LOD = 5 ng/ml) . The LOD for cocaine, heroin and metabolites in hair was approximatel y 0.1 ng/mg of hair with the exception of norcodeine (LOD = 0.3 ng/mg) and normorphine and benzoylnorecgonine (LOD = 0.5 ng/mg). Coefficient s of variation ranged from 3 to 26.5% in the hair assay. This assay ha s been successfully utilized in research on the disposition of cocaine , heroin and metabolites in hair, plasma, saliva and urine and in trea tment studies.