Urinary concentrations of morphine after the administration of herbal teas containing Papaveris fructus in relation to doping analysis

A quantitative method for the analysis of morphine in human urine in the concentration range between 0.25 and 2 μg/ml is described and validated. Morphine was determined after enzymatic hydrolysis of the urine. After liquid–liquid extraction with dichloromethane–methanol (9:1) at pH 9.5, morphine was derivatized with N-methyl-N-trimethylsilyltrifluoroacetamide (MSTFA) and analyzed with GC–MS (full scan). The limit of quantification of the method was 0.25 μg/ml. Two Papaveris fructus containing herbal teas were administered to five male volunteers and urine samples were taken quantitatively during the first 12 h after the administration. The morphine concentration in the tea was 10.4 and 31.5 μg/ml, respectively. Morphine was detected in the urine of all volunteers by 1 h after drinking the tea. Maximum morphine concentrations, 4.3 and 7.4 μg/ml, respectively, were obtained 4–6 h after administration. Doping positive urine samples were delivered for 1–9 h.