Sensitive determination of methylenedioxylated amphetamines by liquid chromatography

Abstract

Different strategies for the liquid chromatographic determination of methylenedioxylated amphetamines were evaluated: separation and detection of underivatized analytes by (i) UV or (ii) fluorescence, (iii) derivatization with 3,5-dinitrobenzoyl chloride followed by separation and UV detection of the derivatives formed and (iv) derivatization with 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate (FMOC) and subsequent separation and fluorimetric detection of the derivatives. The compounds tested were 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and 3,4-methylenedioxyethylamphetamine (MDE). On the basis of these studies, a new procedure for the chromatographic determination of MDA, MDMA and MDE is proposed, based on derivatization with FMOC. The described procedure allows the quantification of the tested compounds with adequate linearity, reproducibility and accuracy in the concentration interval 0.5–20.0 μg mL⁻¹. The limits of detection were 0.01 μg mL⁻¹ for MDA and 0.025 μg mL⁻¹ for MDMA and MDE. The utility of the described assay was tested by determining methylenedioxylated amphetamines in plasma and urine.