UHPLC/MS定量分析伪麻片

摘要：

Pseudoephedrine is frequently used as a decongestant in common cold products including Sudafed®, Advil®Cold, Drixoral®, Benadryl®, Aleve®, and Claritin®. Pseudoephedrine hydrochloride and sulfate salts are found in these products either as single-ingredient preparations or, more commonly, in combination with antihistamines, naproxen, paracetamol (acetaminophen), and/or ibuprofen. Pseudoephedrine and ephedrine, both List I chemicals, are highly coveted by drug traffickers who use them to manufacture methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, for the illicit market. The diversion of over-thecounter pseudoephedrine-containing products is one of the major contributing factors to the methamphetamine situation in the United States.1 The separation and identification of pseudoephedrine from illicit drug mixtures, especially the methamphetamine group compounds including amphetamine, methamphetamine, and 3,4-methylenedioxy-Nmethamphetamine (3,4-MDMA), will help to identify the sources and the manufacturing pathway of the methamphetamine seized in the illicit market.

The Thermo Scientific Accela ultra high performance liquid chromatograph (UHPLC) performs separations 5 to 10 times faster than conventional HPLC by employing sub-2 μm diameter stationary phases and ultra high pressure instrumentation. The 1 to 2 second peak widths and relatively high mobile phase flow rates that are typical of UHPLC methods demand a robust, fast scanning MS detector. The fast scanning Thermo Scientific MSQ Plus single quadrupole mass spectrometer meets this UHPLC requirement and has been used for similar applications.2 This application note describes an effective UHPLC/MS method for high throughput separation, identification, and quantitation of pseudoephedrine.

仪器：Thermo Scientific Accela UHPLC system

结论：A simple, fast, and reliable separation and identification method for five drugs (pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, and 3,4-MDMA) using UHPLC/MS was developed. The ppb (ng/mL) level sensitivity and accuracy of this method provides great opportunity to identify and quantify pseudoephedrine and/or other components in illicit drug samples. It also offers an efficient tool to determine the source and manufacturing pathway of drugs seized in the illicit market.