A GC-MS Method for Detection and Quantification of Cathine, Cathinone, Methcathinone and Ephedrine in Oral Fluid

The stimulating herbal drug khat (cathine, cathinone) and its analog methcathinone are common substances of abuse in most countries. A GC-MS method was developed and validated for the detection and quantification of cathine, cathinone, methcathinone and ephedrine in oral fluid specimens. The analytes and internal standard (amphetamine-d5) were extracted from 0.5 mL oral fluids by ethyl acetate, and then the dried extracts were derivatized with heptafluorobutyric anhydride at 70°C for 30 min. The MS was used in selected ion monitoring mode. Ions monitored were m/z 117, 240 and 330 for cathine, m/z 77, 105 and 240 for cathinone, m/z 105, 210 and 254 for methcathinone, m/z 210, 254 and 344 for ephedrine and m/z 244 and 336 for amphetamine-d5. The calibration curves were linear (r2> 0.98) in the concentration range 20-2,000 ng/mL for all analytes. The intra- and inter-assay imprecisions were within (1.6-12.5%) and (1.5-9.5%), respectively, for all analytes. Intra-assay accuracies were between -5.9 and 6.7% for all analytes. The method was successfully applied to detect and quantify the target analytes from oral fluid specimens collected from Khat and methcathinone users.