Modern Methods of Extraction in Forensic Toxicology

Abstract

Biological matrices comprise of a large amount of complex entities, components which present a major interference in the extraction of drug of interest from the sample for the process of drug analysis. Extraction techniques are utilized as preparatory procedures which remove the unwanted components and complex compounds present in the matrix such as proteins, lipids and allow the toxicologist to concentrate the target drug or compound in high concentration present in a small volume. The extraction techniques are important to be used before the analysis of the drug using instrumental techniques such gas chromatography (GC), High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), Mass spectroscopy (MS) and other hyphenated techniques like GC-MS, LC-MS, HPTLC-MS.^[1] Biological specimens such as serum and urine are usually “clean” with little contamination in clinical toxicology, and so the extraction method and clean-up procedures are not given much importance but in forensic toxicology, the biological specimen received are under such condition including decomposition, hemolysis and contamination that the correct analysis of drug is difficult without applying the right extraction method. In Forensic toxicology, the biological specimens received involve blood, viscera, urine, saliva and many more. The extraction method to be employed depends upon the nature of the matrix and its condition.

The “modern methods” are the emerging new methods of extraction which have many advantages over the traditional methods of extraction. The modern methods are more accurate, faster, and reliable and these methods are being currently employed in the toxicology labs for faster and better results.