Analysis of γ-Hydroxybutyrate in Human Urine by LC-MS/MS Method and Its Forensic Application

Abstract

GHB (γ-hydroxybutyrate) is becoming popular recreational drugs. As a result of its strong sedative and amnesiac effects, GHB has been implicated in a number of DFSA cases. The natural presence of GHB in the human body and its rapid elimination after ingestion make it difficult to detect and to evaluate its roles in suspected GHB-facilitated assaults. The paper describes an analytical method for the determination of GHB in urine using LC-MS/MS. Samples were acidified by ammonium chloride solution and extracted with ethyl acetate, and then the extracts were analysed by LC-MS/MS. The limit of detection was 0.05 μg/mL (S/N = 3). The intraand inter-day precision was within 10.0% at three concentrations. The methods were found to be sensitive, accurate, rapid and suitable for the forensic toxicology to test GHB in real cases.