ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Page Count: 12

Liquid Chromatographic Analysis of Promethazine and Its Major Metabolites in Human Postmortem Material
Archer, AW
Research chemist, Research Section, Department of Health New South Wales,

Allender, WJ
Analyst, Forensic Toxicology Section, Department of Health New South Wales, N.S.W.

(Received 2 June 1983; accepted 12 August 1983)

Abstract

A method is described for the determination of promethazine and some of its major metabolites in postmortem specimens by enzymic digestion followed by high-pressure liquid chromatography of the extracts using a cyano-bonded (μ-Bondapak®-CN) silica column packing and a mobile phase consisting of methanol, water, and n-octylamine (adjusted to pH 8). The system will separate and quantitate promethazine sulphoxide, desmonomethyl promethazine, didesmethyl promethazine, and promethazine. Pericyazine (2-cyano-10-[3-(4-hydroxypiperidino)propyl] phenothiazine) was used as internal standard. The parent drug and metabolites were extracted from a enzyme digested tissue homogenates with ethyl acetate using a simple, single micro-extraction procedure. The method was applied to four cases of fatal poisoning involving promethazine ingestion.

Keywords:
toxicology, promethazine, chromatographic analysis, major metabolites, micro-extraction technique, high-pressure liquid chromatography, postmortem levels

Paper ID: JFS11699J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS11699J
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