Two simple, rapid, and selective analytical procedures were developed for the simultaneous determination of paracetamol (PR) and tramadol hydrochloride (TR) in a binary mixture using high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection (HPLC-UV) and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques. HPLC resolved the two compounds on a Hypurity Advance column using a mobile phase consisting of phosphate buffer pH 6.3 and acetonitrile (90:10, v/v). PR and TR were detected by their UV absorption at 220 nm. GC-MS involved separation of the two compounds using 100% dimethylpolysiloxane (Rtx-1) column with temperature programming. The EI mass spectrum of PR was characterized by [M]⁺ at 151 and a base peak at m/z 109 while TR mass spectrum was characterized by [M]⁺ at 263 and a base peak at m/z 58. Quantification of the analytes in both methods was based on measuring the peak areas. The reliability and analytical performance of the proposed methods including linearity, ranges, precision, accuracy, detection, and quantification limits were statistically validated. Calibration curves were linear over the range 10–400 μg/mL for both PR and TR using the HPLC method and over the ranges of 75–500 and 25-350 μg/mL for PR and TR, respectively, using the GC-MS method. The proposed methods were successfully applied for the determination of the two compounds in laboratory-prepared mixtures and in commercially available tablet formulation. No interference peaks were observed from common pharmaceutical adjuvants. The results compared favorably with those obtained by a derivative spectrophotometric method.

The constant and persistent synthesis and abuse of new psychoactive substances have sparked the requirement for rapid, on-site, sensitive analytical protocols for their sensing and quantification. Mephedrone (4-MMC) is currently one of the most popular legal highs among recreational drug abusers and imposes a serious public health problem. In this paper, the electrochemical sensing of two metabolites of 4-MMC, namely, nor-mephedrone (4-methylcathinone, 4-MC) and dihydromephedrone (4-methylephedrine, 4-MMC-R), utilizing screen-printed graphite electrodes is performed. The accessible linear ranges by cyclic voltammetry were found to correspond to 40–300 μg mL^–1 for 4-MC in both phosphate buffer solution (PBS, pH 7.0) and spiked diluted human urine, whereas in the case of 4-MMC-R, the linearity ranges are 15–300 μg mL^–1 (PBS, pH 3.0) and 25–300 μg mL^–1 (spiked diluted human urine). To maximize the assay sensitivity, differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was performed toward the sensing of 4-MC, which exhibited a linear response over the range 10–250 and 10–300 μg mL^–1 in PBS pH 7.0 and spiked diluted human urine, respectively. However, 4-MMC-R demonstrated slightly higher sensitivity over the range 5–300 μg mL^–1 in both PBS pH 3.0 and spiked diluted human urine. Using DPV, the limits of detection (3σ) were calculated and found to correspond to ca. 3.97 and 3.64 μg mL^–1 for 4-MC and 4-MMC-R (PBS, pH 7.0 and 3.0), respectively, and ca. 6.34 and 3.87 μg mL^–1 for 4-MC and 4-MMC-R (spiked diluted human urine), respectively. The potential interference of adulterants’ metabolites commonly found in NPS street samples was also explored (at both pH 7.0 and 3.0). The electrochemical approach reported herein provides a novel laboratory tool for the identification and quantification of synthetic cathinone metabolites and has potential for the basis of a portable analytical sensor for their fast, cheap, reliable, and accessible determination in the field.

In this work, a simple, rapid, and selective high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with diode array detection was developed for the simultaneous determination of nitrofurazone (NZ) and lidocaine hydrochloride (LD). The chromatographic separation was achieved by using Zorbax Eclipse XDB-C₁₈ (4.6 × 150 mm, 5 µm p.s.) analytical column and a mobile phase composed of 0.025 M disodium hydrogen phosphate.methanol. triethylamine (70:30:0.1, v/v/v) (pH 4.0) at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. The detector was set at wavelengths 374 and 220 nm for NZ and LD, respectively, and quantification of the analytes was based on measuring their peak areas. The retention times for NZ and LD were ∼ 4.5 and 5.7 min, respectively. The reliability and analytical performance of the proposed HPLC procedure were statistically validated with respect to system suitability, linearity, ranges, precision, accuracy, selectivity, robustness, and detection and quantification limits. The linear dynamic ranges were 0.5.25 and 2.5.100 µg/mL for NZ and LD, respectively, with correlation coefficients > 0.999. The stability-indicating aspects of the proposed method were demonstrated by the resolution of the two analytes from the related substance and potential impurity (2,6-dimethylaniline) as well as from forced-degradation products. The validated HPLC method was successfully extended to the analysis of the combined topical dosage form (soluble dressing) where no interfering peaks were encountered from the dosage form matrix or the inactive ingredients.

Over recent years there has been a progressive increase in the adulteration of common illicit street drugs, such as heroin and cocaine, with fentanyl and its derivatives (fentalogues) being the cause of over doses ending with fatal repercussions. Consequently, there is a need for the development of sensitive, selective and reliable analytical protocols for their separation and quantification. Herein, we report for the first time, a combination of high-performance liquid chromatography with a dual-diode array and electrochemical (amperometric) detector achieved for the simultaneous detection and quantification of heroin (HRN), fentanyl and ten fentalogues; the amperometric detection is achieved using a commercially available impinging jet flow-cell that incorporates in-house screen-printed graphite macroelectrodes (SPEs). Both protocols are analytically compared and contrasted in terms of their experimental parameters and chromatographic conditions with the separation and quantification being optimized, with these protocols demonstrating a high sensitivity and reproducibility. The proposed methods were successfully applied for the analysis of the investigated drugs of abuse, in the presence of common adulterants (e.g. caffeine, paracetamol and benzocaine), co-formulated excipients (starch, lactose, aerosil 200, etc.) and simultaneously within seized street samples.