Extraction, quantitative gas chromatographic determination and gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric detection of ecgonine for identification of cocaine and its metabolites in urine

Quantitative extraction studies from urine were carried out by addition of cocaine, benzoylecgonine, ecgonine methyl ester and ecgonine to urine samples. After hydrolysis to ecgonine the compounds were analyzed together. Ecgonine was isolated by a cation-exchange resin and purified by an anion-exchange resin. The quantitative determination was performed by GC after silylation with MSTFA. The recovery was 77% at a concentration of 150 μg ecgonine/ml urine. A qualitative determination of ecgonine by GC/MS was possible up to the detection limit of 20 ng/ ml. The method can be applied for the detection of cocaine abuse.