Extraction of Analytes of Toxicolgical Interest from Plasma with Enhanced Matrix Removal-Lipid Material

Matrix interferences and ion suppression are two common analytical issues often encountered when using chromatographic techniques in drug analysis. Diluting the sample prior to analysis especially for LC/MS analysis is a common technique however it does not reduce matrix resulting in ion-suppression. Lack of sample preparation will reduce the method robustness, create chromatographic anomalies and increase instrument maintenance. Lipids are the major source of matrix interferences in plasma and will build up on the analytical column and cause ion-suppression.

Removing lipids from a biological sample not only increases the robustness of the analytical method but improves recoveries and limits of quantitation/detection. Protein precipitation is a simple sample preparation technique that removes the proteins but the lipids remain in the sample. Solid phase extraction can produce a very clean sample removing proteins and lipids, however it requires technical expertise and additional laboratory equipment. Implementing protein precipitation with a novel enhanced matrix removal-lipid material offers the cleanliness of a solid phase extraction method with the simplicity of protein precipitation.

Using a mixture of controlled substances and drugs of abuse at low ng/mL levels we will demonstrate the simple yet effective sample preparation technique incorporating EMR-Lipid.