Literature

Sample preparation of DoA panel in human hair using ISOLUTE® SLE+

Written by Biotage | Dec 6, 2025 12:00:00 PM

For Research Use Only. NOT for Use in Diagnostic Procedures.

Introduction

This application note describes a procedure for sample pre-treatment and extraction of a panel of 49 drugs of abuse from human hair, using Biotage® Lysera for matrix  micropulverization, prior to clean up using ISOLUTE® SLE supported liquid extraction. The application note contains procedures optimized for 400 µL capacity column format and 200 µL and 400 µL supported liquid extraction plate formats, for higher throughput applications. The methodology delivers clean extracts and analyte recoveries mostly greater than 80% with RSDs lower than 10% for all analytes and LLOQ from 1 ng/mL.

ISOLUTE® SLE+ Supported Liquid Extraction plates and cartridges offer an efficient alternative to tradition liquid- liquid extraction (LLE) for bioanalytical sample preparation, providing high analyte recoveries, no emulsion formation and significantly reduced preparation time.
Figure 1. Example structures by class.

Analytes

Amphetamine, Methamphetamine, MDA, MDMA, MDEA, Hydromorphone, Morphine, BZE, Oxymorphone, Dihydrocodeine, Oxycodone, Mephedrone, Norfentanyl, 7-amino-flunitrazepam, 7-amino-clonazepam, Hydrocodone, Codeine, 6-MAM, Cocaine, Norketamine, EDDP, Zaleplon, Zopiclone, Norbuprenorphine, Ketamine, Nitrazepam, Flunitrazepam, Clonazepam, a-OH-triazolam, Oxazepam, Estazolam, Temazepam, Zolpidem, Alprazolam, Methadone, Lorazepam, Bromazepam, a-OH-alprazolam, 2-OH-ethyl- flurazepam, Triazolam, Nordiazepam, Diazepam, Midazolam, Fentanyl, Flurazepam, Buprenorphine, PCP, LSD.

Internal standards

Amphetamine-D5, Morphine-D3, BZE-D3, 6-MAM-D3, Diazepam-D5

Sample preparation procedure

Format

ISOLUTE® SLE+ 200 µL capacity plates (p/n 820-0200-P01)
ISOLUTE® SLE+ 400 µL capacity plates (p/n 820-0400-P01)
ISOLUTE® SLE+ 400 µL capacity cartridges (p/n 820-0055-B)

Matrix preparation

Weigh 20 mg of hair into 2 mL Biotage® Lysera tubes containing 4 x 2.4 mm stainless steel beads. Add 1 mL methanol to each hair sample spiked with ISTD (1 ng/mL).

Micropulverization procedure

Biotage® Lysera: 3 x 5.3 m/sec for 3 minutes with a 20s dwell.
Centrifuge tubes for 10 minutes at 13,300 rpm.

Post micropulverization

Transfer and evaporate extracts using a TurboVap® LV at 20 °C Reconstitute in up to 400 µL ( 50:50, v/v) methanol: water.

Supported liquid extraction conditions

 

ISOLUTE SLE+ 200 µL Plate,

ISOLUTE SLE+ 400 µL Plate,

ISOLUTE SLE+ 400 µL cartridges,

 

Part Number 820-0200-P01

Part Number 820-0400-P01

Part Number 820-0055-B

Sample loading

Load 200 µL of reconstituted supernatant to ISOLUTE® SLE+ sorbent and apply a pulse of pressure 3–5 seconds to initiate flow. Allow the sample to absorb for 5 minutes.

Load 400 µL of reconstituted supernatant to ISOLUTE® SLE+ sorbent and apply a pulse of pressure 3–5 seconds to initiate flow. Allow the sample to absorb for 5 minutes.

Load 400 µL of reconstituted supernatant to ISOLUTE® SLE+ sorbent and apply a pulse of pressure 3–5 seconds to initiate flow. Allow the sample to absorb for 5 minutes.

Analyte Extraction  

Apply DCM/IPA (95/5, v /v, 300 µL) allow to flow under gravity for 5 minutes Apply a further aliquot of MTBE (300 µL) and allow to flow under gravity for 5 minutes. For complete removal apply a pulse of positive pressure at 10 psi (10–20 seconds).

Apply DCM/IPA (95/5, v/v, 600 µL) allow to flow under gravity for 5 minutes. Apply a further aliquot of MTBE (600 µL) and allow to flow under gravity for 5 minutes. For complete removal apply a pulse of positive pressure at 10 psi (10–20 seconds).

Apply DCM/IPA (95/5, v/v, 600 µL) allow to flow under gravity for 5 minutes. Apply a further aliquot of MTBE (600 µL) and allow to flow under gravity for 5 minutes. For complete removal apply a pulse of positive pressure at 10 psi (10–20 seconds).

Post elution and reconstitution

Evaporate extracts at 40 °C in the presence of 100 µL of 50 mM HCl in MeOH in order to avoid evaporative losses of amphetamines. For plate format, we used the Biotage® SPE Dry-96, and for column format we used the TurboVap® LV. Reconsitute using a mix of mobile phase A and mobile phase B (80/20, v/v, 200 uL).

UHPLC conditions

Instrument

Shimadzu Nexera UHPLC

Column

Restek Raptor™ Biphenyl 2.7 µm (100 x 2.1 mm)

Mobile phase

A: 2 mM Ammonium Formate (aq) 0.1% formic acid
B: 2 mM Ammonium Formate (MeOH) 0.1% formic acid

Flow rate

0.4 mL/min

Injection volume

5 μL

Column temperature

30 °C

Table 1. UHPLC gradient.

Time (min)

%A

%B

0

80

20

2.00

80

20

7.50

40

60

11.25

40

60

12.75

0

100

13.50

0

100

13.51

80

20

15.00

80

20

MS conditions

Instrument

Shimadzu 8060 Triple Quadrupole MS using ES interface

Nebulizing gas flow

3 L/min

Drying gas flow

3 L/min

Heating gas flow

17 L/min

Interface temperature

400 °C

DL temperature

250 °C

Heat block temperature

300 °C

CID gas flow

270 kPa

Table 2. MS conditions for target analytes in positive mode.

Analytes

MRM Transition

Collision Energy

Analytes

MRM Transition

Collision Energy

Morphine-D3

289.0>201.1

289.0>152.1

-26.0

-50.0

LSD

323.50>208.10

323.50>223.25

-29.0

-23.0

Morphine

286.0>152.1

286.0>201.1

-50.0

-25.0

7-Aminoflunitrazepam

283.90>135.05

283.90>227.05

-30.0

-26.0

Oxymorphone

302.00>227.1

302.00>198.1

-30.0

-45.0

Zolpidem

308.00>235.10

308.00>263.10

-35.0

-25.0

Hydromorphone

286.0>185.0

286.0>157.0

-30.0

-40.0

Buprenorphine

468.10>396.25

468.10>414.30

-40.0

-35.0

Amphetamine-D5

141.0>93.0

141.0>124.15

-15.0

-20.0

Fentanyl

337.00>188.10

337.00>105.00

-20.0

-40.0

Amphetamine

136>91.05

136>119.1

-15.0

-14.0

Flurazepam

388.00>315.00

388.00>288.00

-20.0

-26.0

Methamphetamine

150.0>90.95

150>119.1

-20.0

-14.0

PCP

244.00>91.05

244.00>159.15

-35.0

-14.0

MDA

180>105

180>77

-20.0

-40.0

Midazolam

325.90>249.10

325.90>223.00

-35.0

-40.0

Dihydrocodeine

302>119.05

302>171

-35.0

-45.0

Bromazepam

315.80>182.10

315.80>209.10

-31.0

-27.0

Codeine

300.0>215.1

300.0>165

-25.0

-40.0

EDDP

278.00>234.00

278.00>234.00

-30.0

-45.0

6-MAM-D3

331.0>165.1

331.0>211.1

-40.0

-25.0

Lorazepam

320.80>275.00

320.80>229.05

-22.0

-30.0

6-MAM

328.0>165.1

328.0>211.1

-40.0

-25.0

Oxazepam

320.80>229.05

286.90>104.20

-23.0

-35.0

MDMA

194.0>163.1

194.0>105.0

-15.0

-25.0

Nitrazepam

286.90>104.20

281.90>180.10

-25.0

-35.0

Oxycodone

316.2>241.2

-20.0

Clonazepam

315.90>270.05

315.90>214.05

-25.0

-38.0

Mephedrone

178.00>145.05

178.00>144.00

-20.0

-30.0

a-OH-Triazolam

358.90>331.10

358.90>239.05

-28.0

-44.0

Hydrocodone

300.0>199.05

300.0>171.1

-30.0

-40.0

2-OH-et-flurazepam

332.90>211.10

332.90>109.00

-37.0

-27.0

MDEA

208>163.05

208>105.05

-15.0

-25.0

Methadrone

310.50>265.10

-16.0

Nor-Ketamine

223.9>125

223.9>179.05

-20.0

-15.0

a-OH-Alprazolam

324.90>216.10

324.90>205.10

-39.0

-46.0

Nor-Fentanyl

233.0>84.05

233.0>56.05

-20.0

-26.0

Nordiazepam

270.90>140.05

270.90>208.10

-26.0

-28.0

BZE-D3

293.00>171.05

293.00>77.00

-20.0

-50.0

Zaleplon

305.90>236.15

305.90>264.20

-28.0

-22.0

BZE

289.90>168.05

289.90>105.00

-20.0

-30.0

Flunitrazepam

313.90>268.10

313.90>239.10

-25.0

-35.0

Ketamine

237.90>125.00

237.90>207.05

-30.0

-14.0

Estazolam

294.90>267.05

294.90>205.05

-20.0

-40.0

7-Aminoclonazepam

285.90>222.10

285.90>121.10

-25.0

-29.0

Temazepam

300.90>255.05

300.90>177.05

-20.0

-39.0

Cocaine

304.00>182.05

304.00>82.05

-20.0

-30.0

Triazolam

342.90>308.10

342.90>239.05

-27.0

-41.0

Zopiclone

388.90>245.05

388.90>217.00

-15.0

-35.0

Alprazolam

308.90>281.00

308.90>205.05

-25.0

-40.0

Norbuprenorphine

414.00>101.25

414.00>187.20

-39.0

-38.0

Diazepam-D5

289.90>193.05

289.90>258.00

-32

-7.0

 

 

 

Diazepam

285.10>193.05

285.10

-32.0

-27.0

Results

This simple sample preparation method delivers clean extracts and analyte recoveries mostly greater than 80% with RSDs lower than 10% for all analytes (see Figure 2), and LLOQs from 1 ng/mL (see table 3) for all ISOLUTE® SLE+ formats used.


Figure 2. Representative analyte recoveries using the optimized SLE protocol for the 400 µL capacity column format (p/n 820-0055-B. Similar results were achieved using the 200 µL and 400 µL capacity plate formats.


Figure 3. Representative chromatography for application analytes spiked at 1 ng/mL.

Calibration curve performance was investigated from hair (analytes (1–1000 pg/mL) were added to methanolic NH4OH extraction solvent prior to micropulverization) Good linearity was observed for all analytes typically delivering r2 values greater than 0.99. Table 3. details linearity performance and associated LOQ for each analyte, using the 400 µL capacity column format, p/n 820-0055-B. Similar results were achieved using the 200 µL and 400 µL capacity plate formats.


Figure 4. Calibration curves for Burprenorphine (a), 6-MAM (b), BZE (c) and Methamphetamine (d) extracted from human hair using the 400 µL capacity column format loading 400 µL of reconstituted extract. Similar results were achieved for the 200 µL and 400 µL capacity plate formats.



Table 3. Analyte calibration curve r2 and LOQ performance.

Analyte 

400 µL Load r

400 µL Load LLOQ (pg/mL)

Morphine

0.998

1

Oxymorphone

0.998

1

Hydromorphone

0.997

1

Amphetamine

0.998

1

Methamphetamine

0.998

1

MDA

0.998

10

Dihydrocodeine

0.998

<1

Codeine

0.998

1

6-MAM

0.999

<1

MDMA

0.998

<1

Oxycodone

0.998

1

Mephedrone

0.996

1

Hydrocodone

0.998

1

MDEA

0.998

<1

Nor-Ketamine

0.996

1

Nor-Fentanyl

0.998

<1

BZE

0.999

<1

Ketamine

0.998

<1

7-Aminoclonazepam

0.998

1

Cocaine

0.997

<1

Zopiclone

0.998

5

Norbuprenorphine

0.998

50

LSD

0.998

1

7-Aminoflunitrazepam

0.999

1

Zolpidem

0.998

<1

Buprenorphine

0.996

1

Fentanyl

0.998

<1

Flurazepam

0.998

<1

PCP

0.998

1

Midazolam

0.997

1

Bromazepam

0.998

5

EDDP

0.999

<1

Lorazepam

0.998

10

Oxazepam

0.999

1

Nitrazepam

0.999

5

Clonazepam

0.998

5

a-OH-Triazolam

0.997

5

2-OH-et-flurazepam

0.998

10

Methadrone

0.998

5

a-OH-Alprazolam

0.995

10

Nordiazepam

0.996

5

Zaleplon

0.997

1

Flunitrazepam

0.998

5

Estazolam

0.998

<1

Temazepam

0.998

5

Triazolam

0.998

1

Alprazolam

0.997

<1

Diazepam

0.997

1

Ordering information

Part Number

Description

Quantity

19-060

Biotage® Lysera

1

19-649

Bulk 2 mL Reinforced Tubes with Screw Caps

1000

19-640

Bulk 2.4 mm Metal Beads – 500 g

1

820-0055-B

ISOLUTE® SLE+ 400 µL

Sample Volume Cartridges

50

820-0200-P01

ISOLUTE® SLE+ 200 µL

Capacity Plate

1

820-0400-P01

ISOLUTE® SLE+ 400 µL

Capacity Plate

1

PPM-96

Biotage® PRESSURE+ 96 Positive Pressure Manifold

1

415000

TurboVap® LV

1

SD-9600-DHS

Biotage® SPE Dry Sample Concentrator System

1

 

Literature Number: AN898