Practical considerations using Quantisal oral fluid collection devices

Oral fluid represents a complex, heterogeneous biological fluid primarily produced by the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual salivary glands. Together, these glands make the majority of saliva, which excretes into the oral cavity through a collective network of striated ducts. Although only the major glands possess a collective secretive orifice, all salivary glands produce a secrete that varies in complexity. With the resurgence of oral fluids (OF) as testing matrix for drugs of abuse (DOA), the need to provide larger and more comprehensive panels for drugs is required.

However, to reach the lower limits of quantitation necessary for basal analyte detection in OF, both the biological matrix and the storage buffers present obstacles for DOA detection. Specifically, the use of excipients or emulsifying agents in OF storage buffer, e.g. polyethylene glycol (PEG), are generally disruptive to the purification process of oral fluids because they act as a chemical bridge between the biphasic layers under liquid-liquid and solid phase extractions (LLE and SPE, respectively).

Herein, we describe the relationship between 85 DOA and their subsequent response to the recovery and matrix effects of Immunalysis’ Quantisal buffer as used with water as a surrogate oral fluid, synthetic oral fluid from UTAK, and the Quantisal device. Moreover, we examine the impact upon recovery and matrix effects upon modulating solvent polarity of the organic wash to improve analyte detection and SPE method ruggedness upon a large and diverse panel of analytes.

Literature number: P179