Supported Liquid Membrane Extraction of Anabolic Androgenic Compounds in Biological Matrices and Detection by LC-ESI-MS

Abstract

A sample work-up and enrichment technique involving the use of supported liquid membrane (SLM) and detection by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer operating under positive ion electrospray mode (LC-PI-ESI-MS) has been developed for the determination of six anabolic androgenic compounds in different biomatrices; mainly urine, kidney, liver and milk. Anabolic androgenic compounds analysed included 17α-trenbolone, 17β-trenbolone, 19-nortestosterone, testosterone, 4-androstene-3,17-dione and testosterone benzoate. Several factors affecting the extraction efficiency during SLM enrichment, such as donor pH were studied. The detection limits (DL) were 0.08 μg L^–1 for 4-androstene-3,17-dione, 0.7 ng L^–1 19-testosterone, 1.1 ng L^–1 for testosterone, 0.1 ng L^–1 for 17β-trenbolone, 1.6 ng L^–1 for 17α-trenbolone and 0.03 μg L^–1 for testosterone benzoate. Modification at C17 in the structures of 4-androstene-3,17-dione and testosterone benzoate affected their recoveries with SLM and explained their observed high detection limits.

Keywords: Anabolic androgenic compounds, supported liquid membrane, liquid chromatography, electrospray ionization, massspectrometry