Detection of 3-4 Methylenedioxy amphetamine from Drug Abuser’s Fingers and Toenails using Liquid Chromatography with Mass Spectroscopy

Abstract

Nails have the ability to steadily collect chemicals over long periods of time, which may provide information 
about past drug usage and misuse. Drug analysis in human nail clippings has shown its important use in recent 
years for therapeutic drug monitoring, detection of drug exposure in utero, forensic toxicological applications, 
and program monitoring. Compared to traditional matrices (blood and urine), nails provide a number of 
benefits, such as an extended detection window (months to years), non-invasive sample collection, and ease of 
storage and transit. Because of these features, nails play a crucial role in therapeutic drug monitoring and 
forensic toxicology. Due to the low levels of medicines and drug addiction in nails as well as the intricate 
keratinized matrix, more sensitive analytical procedures are required, and sample preparation is essential. The 
current work aims to provide a high-performance, straightforward approach for the detection and 
measurement of 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) in fingernail and toenail clippings using liquid 
chromatography-mass spectroscopy (LC-MS). Six patients receiving therapy at a rehab facility in Ujjain, 
Madhya Pradesh, India, had finger and toenail clippings taken. After decontaminating the nail clippings, they 
were hydrolyzed in 1 M NaOH at 370°C, extracted using ethyl acetate, diluted with methanol, and finally 
analyzed using LC-MS. Using the MDA reference standard, the calibration curve was created spanning the 
concentration range of 0.5 to 30 ng/mL.