Optimization of a disposable pipette tips extraction for the analysis of psychoactive substances in sweat specimens using design of experiments.

This article focuses on the development and optimization of extraction methods using disposable pipette tips extraction (DPX), a miniaturized solid-phase extraction technique, for detecting conventional drugs of abuse and novel psychoactive substances (NPS) in sweat samples via gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The study employed Design of Experiments (DoE) to optimize parameters such as sample volume, solvent volumes, aspiration times, and extraction cycles for both basic and neutral psychoactive compounds, achieving improved analyte recoveries (54.7% increase for basic and 39.2% for neutral compounds). The optimized DPX methods enable simultaneous extraction of multiple substances, including amphetamines, cocaine, cannabinoids, fentanyl, and various NPS, from sweat, highlighting sweat as a valuable, non-invasive biological matrix for clinical and forensic toxicology. While the study demonstrates the feasibility and efficiency of DPX for sweat analysis, it notes that further validation is required to confirm the method's performance for qualitative and quantitative applications.