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Chiral capillary electrophoresis/tandem mass spectrometry (CE/MS/MS) using a chemically modified capillary containing sulfonated groups was developed for the following 8 amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS): amphetamine, methamphetamine (MA), norephedrine, norpseudoephedrine, ephedrine (EP), pseudoephedrine (pEP), dimethylamphetamine and methylephedrine. The running buffer was 10 mM formic acid containing 20 mM highly sulfated γ-cyclodextrin (pH 2.5) as the chiral selector. All 16 enantiomers were well resolved within 60 min, and precisely identified due to their characteristic mass spectra. Further, the RSDs of the migration times of the analytes were no more than 0.3% without any standardization. (1R,2S)-(-)-EP and (1S,2S)-(+)-pEP, which are important ATS impurities originating in the precursors, were added to a highly concentrated MA solution (1 mg/mL) and analyzed as mock samples for MA impurity analysis. Acceptable repeatability of the migration times of (-)-EP and (+)-pEP (ca. 0.3% RSDs) was still observed without interference from the large amount of MA. The limits of detection (LOD) of (-)-EP and (+)-pEP were approximately 2 μg/mL, therefore, their LOD as the impurity concentrations were calculated at about 0.2%. Seized MA samples were dissolved in water at a high concentration (1 mg/mL) and analyzed by this method. (-)-EP and (+)-pEP were clearly detected as impurities. Although these compounds had similar migration times and mass spectral patterns, the fine repeatability allowed easy identification of the impurities by a simple comparison of the absolute migration times of the specimens and those of authentic standards. This study is the first to report the use of a chemically modified capillary for the impurity profiling on CE/MS/MS., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

We examined the applicability of chemically modified capillaries on the chiral capillary electrophoresis of essential compounds for methamphetamine (MA) profiling (MA, amphetamine, ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, norephedrine, and norpseudoephedrine) using highly sulfated γ-cyclodextrin as a chiral selector. Four types of chemically modified capillaries, namely, FunCap-CE/Type D (possessing diol groups), Type A (amino groups), Type C (carboxyl groups), and Type S (sulfate groups), were evaluated. Repeatability, speed, and good chiral resolution sufficient for routine MA profiling were achieved with the Type S capillary., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Analogs of methcathinone (MC), a psychoactive stimulant, are in circulation all over the world. These analogs have been assumed to be unstable in alkaline solutions, as is MC itself. The aims of this study were: (i) to identify the degradation products of 4-methylmethcathinone (4-MMC), a typical MC analog, in solution at pH 12 and to determine the degradation pathway, (ii) to investigate the effects of antioxidants such as l-ascorbic acid and sodium sulfite on the degradation of 4-MMC, and (iii) to investigate the stability of seven MC analogs (4-MMC, 4-, 3-, or 2-fluoromethcathinone, 4-methoxymethcathinone, N-ethylcathinone, and N,N-dimethylcathinone) in solutions at different pHs.1-(4-Methylphenyl)-1,2-propanedione (MPPD), 4-methylbenzoic acid (MBA), N,4-dimethylbenzamide (DMBA), and N-acetyl-4-MMC (N-Ac-4-MMC) were identified as the degradation products of 4-MMC in pH 12 solution by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. There are two degradation pathways for 4-MMC as follows: (a) 4-MMC→MPPD→MBA→DMBA and (b) 4-MMC→N-Ac-4-MMC. Oxidants such as dissolved oxygen were presumed to be involved in this degradation based on the suppressive effects generated by the addition of antioxidants. All of the seven MC analogs tested were stable in acidic (pH 4) solution but degraded in neutral-to-basic solutions. Their degradation rates increased with increasing pH, and varied with their chemical structures. These findings will be very useful for not only forensic analysis but also future pharmacokinetic analysis., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A trace amount of vegetable oil was picked up with solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber and identified using a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). Unsaponifiable constituents such as sterols could be detected by an injection of the SPME fiber, with the fiber touching the vegetable oil and then leading directly into the port of the GC-MS. After thermal desorption of unsaponifiable constituents, the remaining triacylglycerols or oil that was freshly added to the fiber were recovered with a little organic solvent, and the profiles of the fatty acids that had been constructing the acylglycerols were determined using a base-catalyzed trans-esterification method which produced fatty acid methyl esters. The simple and rapid techniques that make up this method make it possible to significantly reduce the preparation time and as well as the required sample volume. When urgent discrimination is required with high accuracy, this technique could serve as a useful and powerful tool for identification of vegetable oil.