Journal of Forensic Medicine ›› 2021, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (1): 26-32.DOI: 10.12116/j.issn.1004-5619.2020.300402

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Supramolecular Solvent Extraction-Gas Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry for Detection of Benzodiazepines in Urines

LIU Jin-lei1 , GU Jie2 , CHEN Li-qin2 , AMIN Wurita2   

  1. 1. Graduate School of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010059, China; 2. Department of Forensic Medicine, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010110, China
  • Received:2020-04-21 Online:2021-02-25 Published:2021-02-28

Abstract: Objective To establish a method using supramolecular solvent and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) to analyze 9 benzodiazepines in urines. Methods Urine samples containing 9 benzodiazepines reference substance were subjected to liquid-liquid extractions with supramolecular solvent, which consisted of tetrahydrofuran and 1-hexanol. The solvent layer was evaporated to dryness by stream of nitrogen. The residue was reconstituted with methanol, and GC-MS/MS analysis was performed on it. The way of data collection was multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode; internal standard method was employed for quantification. Results In urine samples, when the range of mass concentration was 1- 100 ng/mL for diazepam, midazolam, flunitrazepam and clozapine, 5- 100 ng/mL for lorazepam and alprazolam, 2-100 ng/mL for nitrazepam and clonazepam, and 0.2-100 ng/mL for estazolam, respectively, good linearities were obtained, correlation coefficients were 0.999 1-0.999 9, the lower limits of the quantifications ranged from 0.2 to 5 ng/mL, the extraction recovery rates were 81.12%- 99.52%. The intra-day precision[relative standard deviation(RSD)]and accuracy(bias)were lower than 9.86% and 9.51%, respectively; the inter-day precision(RSD)and accuracy(bias)were lower than 8.74% and 9.98% , respectively. Nine drugs in urine samples showed good stability at ambient temperature and -20 ℃ within 15 days. The mass concentrations of alprazolam in urine samples obtained from 8 volunteers who took alprazolam tablets orally within 8-72 h after ingestions ranged from 6.54 to 88.28 ng/mL.

Key words: forensic toxicology, gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer, benzodiazepines, supramolecular solvent, urin

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