A Fast Liquid Chromatographic/Mass Spectrometric Screening Method for the Simultaneous Detection of Synthetic Glucocorticoids, Some Stimulants, Anti-Oestrogen Drugs and Synthetic Anabolic Steroids

The study described a fast liquid chromatographic/mass spectrometric (LC/MS/MS) screening method for detecting synthetic glucocorticoids, stimulants, anti-oestrogen drugs, and synthetic anabolic steroids in urine. The method involved a single liquid/liquid extraction step at alkaline pH after enzymatic hydrolysis, allowing for the simultaneous detection of these substances in 7 minutes. The method demonstrated good reproducibility with retention times and relative abundances showing coefficients of variation (CV%) of less than 2% and 10%, respectively. The detection limits for anti-oestrogens, glucocorticoids, and steroids ranged from 1–30 ng/mL, while for stimulants, it ranged from 100–200 ng/mL, meeting the World Anti-Doping Agency's performance requirements.