PMID- 35163906 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 20220331 LR - 20220401 IS - 1420-3049 (Electronic) IS - 1420-3049 (Linking) VI - 27 IP - 3 DP - 2022 Jan 19 TI - Stability of Cocaine, Opiates, and Metabolites in Dried Saliva Spots. LID - 10.3390/molecules27030641 [doi] LID - 641 AB - Drug abuse still represents a global problem, and it is associated with an increased risk of diseases, injuries, and deaths. Cocaine (COC) and opiates are the most abused drugs and account for a significant number of fatalities. Therefore, it is important to develop methods capable of effectively identifying and quantifying these substances. The present study aims to evaluate the long-term stability of COC, ecgonine methylester (EME), benzoylecgonine (BEG), cocaethylene (COET), norcocaine (NCOC), morphine (MOR), codeine (COD) and 6-monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM) in oral fluid samples. The analytes of interest were isolated from the matrix (50 microL) using the dried saliva spots (DSS) sampling approach and were subsequently analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). The parameters that could influence the stability of the target compounds were studied, and these were storage temperature, light, use of preservatives (and respective concentrations), and time. The effects of each parameter were evaluated using the design of experiments (DOE) approach. The stability of the target analytes was improved when the DSS were stored at room temperature, in the presence of light and using 1% sodium fluoride. The best conditions were then adopted for the DSS storage and long-term stability was assessed. COD was only stable for 1 day, EME was stable for 3 days, COC, COET, NCOC and 6-MAM were stable for 7 days, MOR for 14 days and BEG remained stable throughout the study (136 days). This is the first study that evaluates the stability of these compounds in oral fluid samples after application in DSS cards, and optimizes the conditions in order to improve their stability. FAU - Almeida, Ema AU - Almeida E AD - Centro de Investigacao em Ciencias da Saude, Universidade da Beira Interior (CICS-UBI), Av. Infante D. Henrique, 6201-556 Covilha, Portugal. FAU - Soares, Sofia AU - Soares S AD - Centro de Investigacao em Ciencias da Saude, Universidade da Beira Interior (CICS-UBI), Av. Infante D. Henrique, 6201-556 Covilha, Portugal. AD - Laboratorio de Farmaco-Toxicologia, Ubimedical, Universidade da Beira Interior, Estrada Municipal 506, 6200-284 Covilha, Portugal. FAU - Goncalves, Joana AU - Goncalves J AD - Centro de Investigacao em Ciencias da Saude, Universidade da Beira Interior (CICS-UBI), Av. Infante D. Henrique, 6201-556 Covilha, Portugal. AD - Laboratorio de Farmaco-Toxicologia, Ubimedical, Universidade da Beira Interior, Estrada Municipal 506, 6200-284 Covilha, Portugal. FAU - Rosado, Tiago AU - Rosado T AD - Centro de Investigacao em Ciencias da Saude, Universidade da Beira Interior (CICS-UBI), Av. Infante D. Henrique, 6201-556 Covilha, Portugal. AD - Laboratorio de Farmaco-Toxicologia, Ubimedical, Universidade da Beira Interior, Estrada Municipal 506, 6200-284 Covilha, Portugal. AD - C4-Cloud Computing Competence Centre, Universidade da Beira Interior, 6200-000 Covilha, Portugal. FAU - Fernandez, Nicolas AU - Fernandez N AD - Laboratorio de Asesoramiento Toxicologico Analitico (CENATOXA), Catedra de Toxicologia y Quimica Legal, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquimica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junin 956, 7mo piso, Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires (CABA), Buenos Aires C1113AAD, Argentina. FAU - Rodilla, Jesus M AU - Rodilla JM AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-6114-3572 AD - Departamento de Quimica, Universidade da Beira Interior, FibEnTech-Materiais Fibrosos e Tecnologias Ambientais, Rua Marques d'Avila e Bolama, 6200-001 Covilha, Portugal. FAU - Passarinha, Luis A AU - Passarinha LA AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-6910-7576 AD - Centro de Investigacao em Ciencias da Saude, Universidade da Beira Interior (CICS-UBI), Av. Infante D. Henrique, 6201-556 Covilha, Portugal. AD - Laboratorio de Farmaco-Toxicologia, Ubimedical, Universidade da Beira Interior, Estrada Municipal 506, 6200-284 Covilha, Portugal. AD - UCIBIO-Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Departamento de Quimica, Faculdade de Ciencias e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 1099-085 Caparica, Portugal. AD - Associate Laboratory i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA, 2819-516 Caparica, Portugal. FAU - Barroso, Mario AU - Barroso M AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-8848-2734 AD - Servico de Quimica e Toxicologia Forenses, Instituto de Medicina Legal e Ciencias Forenses-Delegacao do Sul, 1169-201 Lisboa, Portugal. FAU - Gallardo, Eugenia AU - Gallardo E AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-1802-8998 AD - Centro de Investigacao em Ciencias da Saude, Universidade da Beira Interior (CICS-UBI), Av. Infante D. Henrique, 6201-556 Covilha, Portugal. AD - Laboratorio de Farmaco-Toxicologia, Ubimedical, Universidade da Beira Interior, Estrada Municipal 506, 6200-284 Covilha, Portugal. LA - eng GR - UIDB/00709/2020/Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia/ GR - UIDP/00709/2020/Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia/ GR - UIDB/04378/2020/Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia/ GR - UIDP/04378/2020/Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia/ GR - LA/P/0140/2020/Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia/ GR - SFRH BD/148753/2019/Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia/ GR - SFRH/BD/149360/2019/Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia/ GR - UBIMEDICAL - CENTER- 01-0145-FEDER-000019- C4 - Centre for Competences in Cloud Computing/European Regional Development Fund (FEDER)/ PT - Journal Article DEP - 20220119 PL - Switzerland TA - Molecules JT - Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) JID - 100964009 RN - 0 (Narcotics) RN - 0 (Opiate Alkaloids) RN - I5Y540LHVR (Cocaine) SB - IM MH - *Cocaine/metabolism MH - Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/methods MH - Narcotics/analysis MH - *Opiate Alkaloids MH - Saliva/chemistry MH - Tandem Mass Spectrometry PMC - PMC8839019 OTO - NOTNLM OT - GC-MS/MS OT - cocaine OT - dried saliva spots OT - opiates OT - oral fluid OT - stability COIS- The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest or financial involvement regarding this submission. EDAT- 2022/02/16 06:00 MHDA- 2022/04/01 06:00 PMCR- 2022/01/19 CRDT- 2022/02/15 01:19 PHST- 2021/12/05 00:00 [received] PHST- 2022/01/14 00:00 [revised] PHST- 2022/01/17 00:00 [accepted] PHST- 2022/02/15 01:19 [entrez] PHST- 2022/02/16 06:00 [pubmed] PHST- 2022/04/01 06:00 [medline] PHST- 2022/01/19 00:00 [pmc-release] AID - molecules27030641 [pii] AID - molecules-27-00641 [pii] AID - 10.3390/molecules27030641 [doi] PST - epublish SO - Molecules. 2022 Jan 19;27(3):641. doi: 10.3390/molecules27030641.