Microwave-assisted on-spot derivatization for gas chromatography-mass spectrometry based determination of polar low molecular weight compounds in dried blood spots

- A new methodology is set up and validated to minimize sample workup for GC-MS.
- The strategy used combines microwave derivatization with “on-spot derivatization”.
- Applicability on real-life samples is demonstrated for GHB and gabapentin.
- Other polar low molecular weight compounds can also be assessed using this approach.

Dried blood spot (DBS) sampling and analysis is increasingly being applied in bioanalysis. Although the use of DBS has many advantages, it is also associated with some challenges. E.g. given the limited amount of available material, highly sensitive detection techniques are often required to attain sufficient sensitivity. In gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS), derivatization can be helpful to achieve adequate sensitivity. Because this additional sample preparation step is considered as time-consuming, we introduce a new derivatization procedure, i.e. “microwave-assisted on-spot derivatization”, to minimize sample preparation of DBS. In this approach the derivatization reagents are directly applied onto the DBS and derivatization takes place in a microwave instead of via conventional heating. In this manuscript we evaluated the applicability of this new concept of derivatization for the determination of two polar low molecular weight molecules, gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and gabapentin, in DBS using a standard GC-MS configuration. The method was successfully validated for both compounds, with imprecision and bias values within acceptance criteria (<20% at LLOQ, <15% at 3 other QC levels). Calibration lines were linear over the 10-100 μg/mL and 1-30 μg/mL range for GHB and gabapentin, respectively. Stability studies revealed no significant decrease of gabapentin and GHB in DBS upon storage at room temperature for at least 84 days. Furthermore, DBS-specific parameters, including hematocrit and volume spotted, were evaluated. As demonstrated by the analysis of GHB and gabapentin positive samples, “microwave-assisted on-spot derivatization” proved to be reliable, fast and applicable in routine toxicology. Moreover, other polar low molecular weight compounds of interest in clinical and/or forensic toxicology, including vigabatrin, beta-hydroxybutyric acid, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol and 1,2-butanediol, can also be detected using this method.