Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry determination of LSD, ISO-LSD, and the main metabolite 2-oxo-3-hydroxy-LSD in forensic samples and application in a forensic case
Sys Stybe Johansen, Jytte Lundsby Jensen
Journal of Chromatography B January 29, 2005 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2004.12.040 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Method development and case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | Forensic case: 26-year-old male suspected of attempted homicide |
| Topics | LSD |
| Keywords | Analyte Detection limit Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry Forensic toxicology Selected reaction monitoring Metabolite Electrospray Tandem mass spectrometry |
| Citations | 41 |
| Key findings | Blood concentrations of LSD and iso-LSD were 0.27 and 0.44 µg/kg, respectively, and 2-oxo-3-hydroxy-LSD was detected in urine, confirming LSD abuse. |
Abstract
A liquid chromatography mass spectrometric (LC/MS/MS) method has been developed for the determination of LSD, iso-LSD and the metabolite 2-oxo-3-hydroxy-LSD in forensic applications. The procedure involves liquid-liquid extraction of the analytes and LSD-D3 (internal standard) from 1.0 g whole blood or 1.0 ml urine with butyl acetate at pH 9.8. Confirmation and quantification were done by positive electrospray ionisation with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer operating in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. Two MRM transitions of each compound were established and identification criteria were set up based on the retention time and the ion ratio. The curves of extracted standards were linear over a working range of 0.01-50 microg/kg for all transitions of LSD and iso-LSD. The limit of quantification was 0.01 microg/kg for LSD and iso-LSD. The method was applied to a case investigation involving a 26-year-old male suspected for having attempted homicide, where blood concentrations of LSD and iso-LSD were determined to 0.27 and 0.44 microg/kg, respectively. 2-Oxo-3-hydroxy-LSD was detected in the urine and confirmed the LSD abuse. The case illustrated the importance of analyte separation before MRM detection of a sample due to identical fragmentation ions of the isomers.