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Detection and quantification of low concentrations of 11-nor-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid from minimal amounts of urine

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Summary

A simple liquid-liquid extraction and GC/MSmethod for detection and quantification of 11-nor-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid (THC-COOH) from merely 1 ml urine is described. The derivatisation to the methyl ester was carried out using methyl iodide and mefenamic acid was used as internal standard. Experiments with urine spiked with 15 ng THC-COOH/ml resulted in a recovery of 91%. Excellent linearity was obtained over the range 5–100 ng/ml.

Zusammenfassung

Eine leicht zu handhabende Flüssig-Flüssig-Extraktions-und GC/MS-Methodik zur Identifizierung und Quantifizierung der 11-Nor-Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol-9-Carbonsäure (THC-COOH) aus lediglich 1 ml Urin wird beschrieben. Die Derivatisierung zum Methyl-Ester erfolgt durch den Einsatz von Jodmethan. Mefenaminsäure wird als interner Standard eingesetzt. Versuche mit gespiktem Urin führten zu einer Wiederfindungsrate von 91% bei 15 ng THC-COOH/ml Urin. Eine ausgezeichnete Linearität wurde über den Bereich von 5–100 ng/ml beobachtet.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Moorenstrasse 5, W-4000, Düsseldorf 1, Germany

    F. Mußhoff & T. Daldrup

Authors
  1. F. Mußhoff
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  2. T. Daldrup
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Additional information

The results were reported at the 22. Jahrestagung des Nord- und Westdeutschen Arbeitskreises der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Rechtsmedizin, Hannover, April 26–27 1991 (Muβhoff and Daldrup, 48)

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Mußhoff, F., Daldrup, T. Detection and quantification of low concentrations of 11-nor-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid from minimal amounts of urine. Int J Leg Med 104, 263–266 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01369582

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01369582

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