Identification of reaction products of methamphetamine and hydrogen peroxide in hair dye and decolorant treatments by high‐performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

Abstract

The effect of hydrogen peroxide, a main component of hair dye and decolorant treatments, on methamphetamine (MA) was studied. Two analytical methods, thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS), were used for the separation and identification of MA derivatives. Mixtures of MA solutions and hydrogen peroxide that had been incubated at 39 degrees C for 24 h were shown to contain para-hydroxy MA by TLC and para-, meta- and ortho-hydroxy MAs by LC/MS. In addition, MA N-oxide and N-hydroxy MA were found in MA/hydrogen peroxide mixtures immediately after mixing. Therefore, we concluded that MA changed to MA N-oxide and N-hydroxy MA before changing to para-, meta- and ortho-hydroxy MAs.

Analysis of reaction products of cocaine and hydrogen peroxide by high‐performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

“…Our finding that the concentration of cocaine decreased after incubation with hydrogen peroxide agreed with that of Yegles et al (2000). In our previous report, we found that MA changed to three compounds (ortho-, meta-and parahydroxy MAs) and two other intermediate compounds (MA N-oxide and N-hydroxy MA) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (Tanaka et al, 2001). However, in the present study, we did not find intermediate compounds in the reaction of cocaine and hydrogen peroxide.…”

“…Therefore, we assumed that MA and AP were degraded by the hair dye or decolorant treatments (Takayama et al, 1999). Recently, we detected ortho-, meta-and parahydroxy MAs by high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) after incubating a mixture of MA and hydrogen peroxide, the main component of hair dye and decolorant treatments (Tanaka et al, 2001). In addition, we found that MA changed to MA N-oxide and N-hydroxy MA before changing to ortho-, meta-and para-hydroxy MAs by the oxidative action of hydrogen peroxide.…”

Analysis of methamphetamine and its metabolites in hair

“…These considerations would support the hypothesis that MA and AP are degraded in hair by dye and decolorant treatments. Recently, Tanaka et al (2001) found that MA changed to o-, m-and pOHMA isomers in the presence of hydrogen peroxide at 39°C using LC/MS/MS. Several studies have examined the effect of permanent and bleach treatments on other illegal drugs such as morphine and codeine (Potsch and Skopp, 1996;Skopp et al, 1997;Jurado et al, 1997;Yegles et al, 2000), cocaine (Jurado et al, 1997;Yegles et al, 2000), and tetrahydrocannabinol (Jurado et al, 1997).…”

Advances in testing for sample manipulation in clinical and forensic toxicology—part B: hair samples

“…Ortho-, meta-and para-hydroxy methamphetamine were detected next to methamphetamine N-oxide and N-hydroxy methamphetamine. However, the study was never continued beyond the investigation of solutions, and detectability in authentic hair samples has yet to be discussed [40]. Doxylamine concentrations in authentic hair samples decreased through oxidative dyeing procedures, while an increase in the oxidation product N-doxylamineoxide was observed [41].…”