Qualitative Identification of Rodenticide Anticoagulants by LC-MS/MS

Rodenticide anticoagulants are used in the control of rodent populations. In addition to accidental ingestions in humans, such agents have also been used for homicidal and suicidal purposes. There are two major groups of rodenticide anticoagulants – hydroxycoumarins and indanediones. Before the advent of LC-MS/MS, analysis for such agents was relegated to such techniques as TLC and HPLC with nonspecific modes of detection. LC-MS/MS has been used to determine any given number of rodenticide anticoagulants in animal tissues, foods, plasma, etc. Use of this technique allows for the simultaneous identification of individual compounds within both classes of rodenticide anticoagulants. The LC-MS/MS method presented allows for simultaneous qualitative identification of brodifacoum, bromadiolone, chlorphacinone, dicumarol, difenacoum, diphacinone, and warfarin in blood, serum, and plasma using ESI in the negative mode. Two transitions are monitored for each analyte after a simple sample preparation. Chromatographic separation is accomplished using a gradient of ammonium hydroxide in water and ammonium hydroxide in methanol. Chloro-warfarin is used as internal standard.