Use of Charcoal to Concentrate Drugs from Urine before Drug Analysis

[摘要] A simple, efficient method is described for detecting various drugs in urine, such as barbiturates, glutethimide, ethchlorvynol, amphetamines, phenothiazines, quinine, morphine, cocaine and its metabolites, diazepam, chlordiazepoxide. The drugs are adsorbed from urine onto charcoal, selectively eluted with small amounts of ethyl ether or chloroform—isopropanol, separated and identified by thin-layer chromatography. Sequential spraying of the chromatographic plates with conventional reagents (except for fluorescamine, which is used to detect d -amphetamine) makes the drugs visible. The average detection limit for all drugs is 1.0 µg/ml of urine. The procedure is fast, economical, and adaptable to any urine screening program. No emulsions are formed and water washings are not required as with the use of resins. The preliminary charcoal-adsorption step permits excellent thin-layer chromatographic resolution of the drugs, with low background of interfering compounds.

[学科分类] 过敏症与临床免疫学