Alopecia is a psychologically distressing phenomenon. Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common form of alopecia, which affects millions of men and women worldwide, and is an androgen driven disorder. Here, the Citrullus colocynthis Schrad fruit is evaluated for hair growth activity in androgen-induced alopecia. Petroleum ether extract of C. ...

First examples of highly charged ions in mass spectrometry (MS) produced from the solid state without using solvent either during sample preparation or mass measurement are reported. Matrix material, matrix/analyte homogenization time and frequency, atmospheric pressure (AP) to vacuum inlet temperature, and mass analyzer ion trap conditions are factors that ...

ABSTRACT. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) combined with six different natural antioxidants on the stability of citral. Acidic SLNs (lecithin stabilized palm kernel fat in pH 3 buffer) containing 1000 ppm citral and 1000 ppm antioxidants (black tea extract, ...

In the present study, a rapid and sensitive LC-ESI-MS/MS method for quantification of (S)-fluoxetine as a native marker in mass spectrometry (MS) binding assays addressing the human serotonin transporter (hSERT) was developed and validated. The concept of MS binding assays based on mass spectrometric quantification of a nonlabeled marker recently ...

A simple, sensitive, and specific analytical method has been developed for the quantitative determination of 15 reducing carbohydrates in the soil solution of crop rhizosphere. Reducing carbohydrates were derivatized with 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone, separated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and detected by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Lower limits of quantitation of ...

A label-free amperometric immunosensor for fast and sensitive assay of human serum chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) is presented. HCG was immobilized on NPG (nanoporous gold) foils and using hydroquinone (HQ) redox species as indicator. The variation of amperometric response to the concentration of hCG, the target antigen, was evaluated by cyclic ...

Bead assays are an important rapid microbial detection technology suitable for extremely low pathogen levels. We report a bead assay for rRNA extracted from Escherichia coli K12 that does not require amplification steps and has readout on an Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer flow cytometry system. Our assay was able to detect ...

The essential oil from Vismia macrophylla Kunth (Guttiferae) leaves, extracted by hydrodistillation, was analyzed by GC/MS. The oil obtained (yield 0.11%) contained twenty-eight compounds, which were identified from their retention indices and by comparison of their mass spectra with those in the Wiley GC-MS Library data base. The major components ...

The analysis of beta-carboline alkaloids presents a renewed interest due to their biological relevance and their increasing popularity as recreational drugs. In the present work, a novel chromatographic reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method with fluorimetric detection has been applied to the determination of beta-carbolines spiked in human serum samples. ...

Methods have been developed to screen for and confirm darbepoetin alfa, recombinant human EPO, and methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin ${\bf{\beta}}$ (PEG-epoetin ${\bf{\beta}}$) in horse plasma. All three methods screen samples with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and confirm by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). This report focuses on PEG-epoetin ${\bf{\beta}}$. The ...

Methods have been developed to screen for and confirm darbepoetin alfa, recombinant human EPO, and methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin ${\bf{\beta}}$ (PEG-epoetin ${\bf{\beta}}$) in horse plasma. All three methods screen samples with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and confirm by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). This report focuses on PEG-epoetin ${\bf{\beta}}$. The ...

A simple and rapid method for the determination of methadone and its main metabolite EDDP in hair has been developed and validated. The analytes were completely extracted from the matrix after a short alkaline incubation, and the extracts were further cleaned up by solid-phase extraction using mixed-mode cartridges. Linearity was ...

Llicit and illicit drugs represent a recent group of emerging contaminants and have been found in the aquatic environment. A HPLC-MS/MS method was developed using direct injection (DI) of larger volumes and a polar endcapped reversed-phase (RP) column to measure drug components in water samples belonging to the cocaine group, ...

The concentrations and ratios of cocaine, benzoylecgonine (BE), and ecgoninemethylester (EME) in 360 head hair segments and 34 pubic hair samples collected at coroner's postmortem examinations were reviewed. The cases included diverse histories and causes/circumstances of death. The hair was analyzed using a validated method published previously; hair was shampoo ...

A facile and reliable electrochemical technique at beta-cyclodextrin incorporated carbon nanotubes modified glassy carbon electrode (beta-CD/CNTs/GCE) was proposed for determination of pentachlorophenol (PCP). The electrochemical behavior of PCP at the beta-CD/CNTs/GCE was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and linear sweep voltammetry. The beta-CD/CNTs/GCE showed good analytical performance characteristics in electrocatalytic oxidation ...

A gas chromatographic tandem mass spectrometric (GCMS/MS) method for simultaneously determining trace concentrations of gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and ethyl glucuronide (EtG) in hair has been developed. Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) was used to detect precursor and product ions of GHB, (233 and 147) and EtG (261 and 143) following anion exchange ...

Ethyl glucuronide (EtG) has been shown to be a suitable marker of excessive alcohol consumption. Determination of EtG in hair samples may help to differentiate social drinkers from alcoholics, and this testing can be widely used in forensic science, treatment programs, workplaces, military bases as well as driving ability test ...

Acute renal failure is a common finding in cocaine abusers. While cocaine metabolism may contribute to its nephrotoxic mechanisms, its pharmacokinetics in kidney cells is hitherto to be clarified. Primary cultures of human proximal tubular cells (HPTCs) provide a well-characterized in vitro model, phenotypically representative of HPTCs in vivo. Thus, ...

We present an isotopic-dilution direct injection reversed-phase liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous determination of 23 drugs of abuse, drug metabolites, and human-use markers in municipal wastewater. The method places particular emphasis on cocaine; it includes 11 of its metabolites to facilitate assessment of routes of administration and ...

An original HPLC method coupled to spectrofluorimetric detection is presented for the simultaneous analysis in dried blood spots (DBS) of cocaine and two important metabolites, namely benzoylecgonine (its main metabolite) and cocaethylene (the active metabolite formed in the presence of ethanol). The chromatographic analysis was carried out on a C8 ...

A rapid method has been developed to analyse morphine, codeine, morphine-3-glucuronide, 6-monoacetylmorphine, cocaine, benzoylegonine, buprenorphine, dihydrocodeine, cocaethylene, 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine, ketamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, pseudoephedrine, lignocaine, benzylpiperazine, methamphetamine, amphetamine, 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine and methadone in human urine. Urine samples were diluted with methanol:water (1:1, v/v) and sample aliquots were analysed by hybrid linear ion trap-triple quadrupole ...

A hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HILIC-TOFMS) method for the quantification and confirmation of morphine (M), codeine (C), morphine-3-glucuronide (M3G), morphine-6-glucuronide (M6G) and codeine-6-glucuronide (C6G) is presented. The method was validated in terms of specificity, selectivity, extraction recovery, accuracy, repeatability, linearity and matrix effect. After a straightforward sample preparation ...

A method for the simultaneous quantification of illicit drugs on Euro banknotes, using an ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, was developed and validated. The method included cocaine, benzoylecgonine, MDMA, MDEA, MDA, methamphetamine, diacetylmorphine, 6-MAM, morphine and Δ(9)-THC. Drug residues were monitored and quantified via positive ESI mode using multiple ...

The urine test strip is the most common test used to detect ketones in veterinary patients, but it can underestimate the degree of ketonuria and hence, ketonemia. Additionally, adequate urine samples for analysis may be difficult to obtain from dehydrated animals. The standard method used to detect and monitor ketonemia ...

The effectiveness of microwave-assisted extraction of proteins from human hair samples was evaluated. Extractions were performed from 2-mg hair samples in an extraction solution consisting of 25 mM Tris-HCl (pH 8.5), 2.6 M thiourea, 5 M urea, and 5% mercaptoethanol. During extraction, samples were exposed to microwave radiation (600 W) ...

A simple and fast sample pre-treatment method based on matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) for isolating cocaine, benzoylecgonine (BZE), codeine, morphine and 6-monoacethylmorphine (6-MAM) from human hair has been developed. The MSPD approach consisted of using alumina (1.80 g) as a dispersing agent and 0.6M hydrochloric acid (4 mL) as an ...

The speciation of Hg in human hair was carried out with combustion-atomic absorption spectrometry for total Hg (THg) and headspace-gas chromatography-atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HS-GC-AFS) for methylmercury (MMHg). The determination of total Hg in hair was carried out with the AMA analyzer (Advanced Mercury Analyser 254). Accuracy and reproducibility were assessed ...

A simple and sensitive procedure, using p-tolylpiperazine (pTP) as internal standard (IS), has been developed and validated for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of 1-(3-trifuoromethylphenyl)piperazine (TFMPP), 1-(3-chlorophenyl)piperazine (mCPP) and 1-(4-methoxyphenyl)piperazine (MeOPP) in hair. Drug extraction was performed by incubation with 1 M sodium hydroxide at 50°C for 40 min, and ...

A method for simultaneous determination of buprenorphine (BUP), norbuprenorphine (NBUP), methadone, 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine (EDDP), cocaine, benzoylecgonine (BE), ecgonine methyl ester (EME), anhydroecgonine methyl ester (AEME), morphine, codeine, 6-acetylmorphine (6AM), heroin, 6-acetylcodeine (6AC), nicotine, cotinine, and trans-3'-hydroxycotinine (OH-cotinine) by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry in oral fluid (OF) was developed and extensively ...

A confirmatory method for the determination of illicit drugs based on micro-solid phase extraction with modified tips, made of a functionalized fiberglass with apolar chains of octadecylsilane into monolithic structure, has been developed in this study. Drugs belonging to different chemical classes, such as amphetamine, methamphetamine, methylenedioxyamphetamine, methylenedioxyethylamphetamine, methylenedioxymethylamphetamine, cocaine, ...

The effects of repeated hair washing and a single hair dyeing on concentrations of methamphetamine (MA) and amphetamine (AM) in hair samples of MA addicts were studied. Thirty-one MA positive hair samples collected from male (n=24, 24-51 yrs) and female abusers (n=7, 17-46 yrs) were evaluated for MA and AM ...

As the hormonal levels in scalp hair reflects the condition of skin appendage, the level of dehydroepiandrosterone-3-sulphate (DHEAS) and cholesterol sulphate (CS) was evaluated in scalp hair obtained from patients with acne. The hair samples were extracted by alkaline solution and were analysed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry coupled to column ...

Adipose tissue is a complex biological matrix that necessitates several pre-analytical preparation steps to separate drugs and metabolites from the lipophilic matrix. A novel, sensitive, and specific gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) method for the determination of cocaine (metabolites), methadone, and morphine in postmortem adipose tissue was developed, optimized, and validated. ...

In this paper a simple, selective and inexpensive kinetic method was developed for the determination of morphine based on its inhibitory effect on the Janus green-bromate system in sulfuric acid media. The reaction was monitored spectrophotometrically at 618 nm by a fixed time method. The effect of different parameters such ...

Nodulation of soybean (Glycine max) root hairs by the nitrogen-fixing symbiotic bacterium Bradyrhizobium japonicum is a complex process coordinated by the mutual exchange of diffusible signal molecules. A metabolomic study was performed to identify small molecules produced in roots and root hairs during the rhizobial infection process. Metabolites extracted from ...

In China, benzodiazepines are the most frequently observed compounds in cases of drug-facilitated crime. Sensitive, specific, and reproducible methods for the quantitative determination of 18 benzodiazepines in hair have been developed using LC-MS/MS. Fourteen volunteers had ingested a single 1-6mg estazolam tablet. Hair was collected 1 month after administration. All ...

New highly sensitive, specific, reliable, reproducible and robust LC-MS/MS methods were developed to detect the anabolic steroids, nandrolone and stanozolol, in human hair for the first time. Hair samples from 180 participants (108 males, 72 females, 62% athletes) were screened using ELISA which revealed 16 athletes as positive for stanozolol ...

To determine whether the occupational exposure of hairdressers to permanent hair dyes can be quantified by the use of biological monitoring of urinary aromatic diamines as one of the main constituents and to compare these levels to those recently determined in persons after personal application of hair dyes. Fifty-two hairdressers ...

A simple and robust method using solid-phase extraction (SPE) and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for the simultaneous determination of 14 drugs of abuse and their metabolites (cocainics, amphetamine-like compounds, cannabinoids, and opiates) in surface waters has been developed. Seven SPE adsorbents (Oasis HLB, Oasis MCX, Oasis Wax, Supelselect ...

It has been firmly established that humans excrete a small but steady amount of the isoquinoline alkaloid morphine in their urine. It is unclear whether it is of dietary or endogenous origin. There is no doubt that a simple isoquinoline alkaloid, tetrahydropapaveroline (THP), is found in human and rodent brain ...

A technique using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GCxGC/TOFMS) is applied to a qualitative analysis of three sample extracts from hair suspected of containing various drug compounds. The samples were also subjected to a quantitative target analysis for codeine, morphine, 6-monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM), amphetamine, methamphetamine, methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), methylenedioxymethylamphetamine (MDMA), methadone, ...

This article describes an easy and innovative extraction procedure for cocaine and its primary metabolite, benzoylecgonine (BE), from hair consisting of sonication with H(2)O/0.1% formic acid for 4 h. The same extract was used for screening with an enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) and confirmation by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). For ...

A surface-sensitive fluorescence measurement platform is utilised in the detection of morphine. The platform is based on a polystyrene parabolic lens that enables the simultaneous application of total internal reflection excitation and supercritical angle fluorescence detection in the measurements. The molecular recognition of morphine is based on two antibodies, one ...

There is little knowledge about the composition and cocaine content of street cocaine, nor about what users know about it. 373 cocaine users were face to face interviewed between May and December 2006 about the last sample of cocaine they had consumed and residual amounts of the substances actually used ...

Henna is very popular in the United Arab Emirates (UAE); it is part of the culture and traditions. Allergy to natural henna is not usual; however the addition of para-phenylenediamine (PPD) to the natural henna increases the risk of allergic contact dermatitis. The objectives of the study were to identify ...

OBJECTIVE: Ethyl glucuronide (EtG) determinations in the hair of self-reported teetotalers were reviewed and compared with carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) blood tests (by immunochemistry and high-performance liquid chromatography [HPLC]). METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out on 154 people whose fitness to drive had to be assessed because of the suspicion ...

An accidental death caused by the combined use of a new designer drug, 4-methylmethcathinone (mephedrone), and heroin is reported. A 22-year-old Caucasian male was found unresponsive in his living quarters and was transported to the hospital where he died. During autopsy, needle marks were found along the decedent's lower legs ...

We present the development of a new, faster analytical method for the determination of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) in human hair to detect potential alcohol abuse. FAEEs have been established as metabolites of ethanol consumption in humans and are embedded in the hair follicles during hair growth. The developed ...

A simple procedure has been developed and validated for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of several opiates (morphine, 6-acetylmorphine, codeine, 6-acetylcodeine) and tramadol in hair. The analytes were extracted from within the matrix via an overnight incubation with methanol at 65 degrees C, and afterwards the samples were cleaned up ...

A sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method is presented for determination of triazolam and alpha-hydroxytriazolam in guinea pig hair after a single dose of triazolam. Eighteen guinea pigs were divided into three dosage groups (10, 100, and 500 microg/kg) and administrated a single dose of triazolam intragastrically. Before administration, drug-free ...