A Sensitive Chemiluminescence Probe Based on Cerium (IV)-Sulfite Reaction for the Determination of Methamphetamine in Biological Samples and Street Drugs

Background & Aims: Methamphetamine is one of the most widely abused drugs worldwide. Its rapid and simple detection and determination in street drugs and biological samples are of great importance for forensic science applications. Materials & Methods: In this work, a simple and sensitive chemiluminescence-based method was established for methamphetamine analysis. It is based on the enhancing effect of methamphetamine on Ce(IV)-Na2SO3 chemiluminescence (CL) reaction. A possible mechanism was discussed for the CL system. Optimization of chemical variables affecting the CL response of the system was performed by an experimental design approach using the central composite design. Results: Under the optimum conditions, the enhanced CL intensity was proportional to the concentration of methamphetamine in the range of 0.005-5.0 µg/mL, with a detection limit of 1.2 ng/mL. Conclusion: The developed method applied to determine methamphetamine in street drugs and human plasma samples showed satisfactory results.