ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Published Online: 1 January 1981
Page Count: 6

Simultaneous Determination of Nicotine and Cotinine in Human Plasma by Nitrogen Detection Gas-Liquid Chromatography
Jaffee, JH
Chief of psychiatric research, Psychiatric Institute, State of New York

Verebey, K
Director of clinical pharmacology, State of New York

Kogan, MJ
Research associate, Psychiatric Institute, State of New York

Mulé, SJ
Assistant commissioner and director, State of New York

(Received 22 April 1980; accepted 4 June 1980)

Abstract

Human plasma levels of nicotine and its principal metabolite, cotinine, were simultaneously quantitated by gas-liquid chromatography combined with nitrogen selective detection. Nicotine, cotinine, and the added internal standard ketamine are extracted from plasma at basic pH into methylene chloride, back-extracted into acid, and then re-extracted into methylene chloride. Analysis is carried out on a packed glass column of 3% SE-30 while column temperature is programmed from 150 to 200°C. Detector response is linear over the range of 2 to 50 ng/mL nicotine and 50 to 500 ng/mL cotinine. The method was validated on 150 plasma samples obtained from habitual smokers. Mean levels of 19.5 and 219 ng/mL were found for nicotine and cotinine, respectively. Both the mean and the range of the levels were in agreement with previously reported plasma levels for nicotine and cotinine.

Keywords:
toxicology, chromatographic analysis, nicotine, cotinine, gas-liquid chromatography

Paper ID: JFS11324J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS11324J
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