Novel extraction method using an ISOLUTE PLD+ protein and phospholipid removal column for liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis of 20 psychoactive drugs in postmortem whole blood samples

• Published in: Forensic science international Vol. 331; p. 111130
• Main Authors: Ogawa, Tadashi, Kondo, Fumio, Iwai, Masae, Matsuo, Tomohito, Kubo, Katsutoshi, Seno, Hiroshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier B.V 01.02.2022; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Amphetamines; Analytical chemistry; Antidepressants; Antipsychotics; Blood; Calibration; Chromatography; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Chromatography, Liquid; Column chromatography; Drug abuse; Drugs; Forensic science; Forensic sciences; Hypnotics; ISOLUTE PLD+ protein and phospholipid removal column; Laboratories; Liquid chromatography; Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Phospholipids; Proteins; Psychoactive drug; Psychotropic Drugs; Reproducibility of Results; Scientific imaging; Spectroscopy; Storage conditions; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Whole blood; United States > US; Japan; ISOLUTE PLD+ protein and phospholipid removal column; Whole blood; Psychoactive drug; Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry
• ISSN: 0379-0738; 1872-6283
• DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2021.111130

•In forensic cases, the detection of psychoactive drugs is crucial.•We established a method using ISOLUTE PLD+ column extraction and LC-MS/MS.•This method will be useful for forensic toxicological investigations. A novel sample extraction method using an ISOLUTE PLD+ protein and phospholipid removal column was developed for simultaneous quantification of 20 psychoactive drugs, including antidepressants, antipsychotics, sedative-hypnotics, and amphetamines, in postmortem whole blood samples by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The method showed improvement in extract cleanliness compared with traditional protein precipitation and the QuEChERS extraction method. The method was validated for all analytes; the calibration curves showed good linearity, with r2 values exceeding 0.991. The intra- and interday accuracies and precisions were 87.6–117.5% and 1.0–18.6%, respectively. The recovery efficiencies were in the range of 64.6–96.8%. Matrix effects were observed in the range of 82.6–116.0%. All analytes were stable under different storage conditions. This method was successfully applied in postmortem forensic sample analysis to quantify psychoactive drugs. The method described in the current study will be useful for forensic toxicological investigations.