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Simultaneous Determination of Amphetamine, Methamphetamine, Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), and Methylenedioxyethylamphetamine (MDEA) Enantiomers by GC-MS

Dale K. Hensley, John T. Cody

Journal of Analytical Toxicology October 1, 1999 DOI: 10.1093/jat/23.6.518 (opens in new tab)

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AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Method development and validation with application to controlled study samples Peer reviewed
Sample size 8
Population Subjects of a controlled MDMA study
Intervention MDMA
Topics MDMA
Keywords Methamphetamine Enantiomer Metabolite Derivatization Urine Analyte Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry
Citations 70
Key points The method accurately determines enantiomer ratios, and in controlled MDMA subjects, l-MDMA percentage increased over time while l-MDA exceeded d-MDA within 36 hours postdose.

Abstract

A method is described for the simultaneous determination of the ratio of l- and d-enantiomers of amphetamine, methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), and 3,4-methylenedioxyethylamphetamine (MDEA) in urine. The assay uses liquid-liquid extraction followed by derivatization with trifluoroacetyl-l-prolyl chloride (l-TPC) and analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The assay was developed using prepared samples containing varying concentrations of each of the analytes over a range of percentages of each enantiomer. Results showed the method to provide accurate and reliable results in samples containing > or = 10 ng/mL amphetamine and methamphetamine and > or = 25 ng/mL MDA, MDMA, and MDEA. The assay was used to analyze urine samples from subjects of a controlled MDMA study. Results for each of the eight subjects showed a greater percentage of the l-enantiomer of MDMA initially, and the percentage increased with time postdose. Analysis of the metabolite MDA revealed that the proportion of d-enantiomer was initially greater than the l-enantiomer followed by a gradual increase in the proportion of l-enantiomer until it exceeded the amount of the d-enantiomer. In all cases, the l-MDA exceeded the d-MDA within the first 36 h postdose.

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