Betel nut is the fruit of Areca palm, growing in Papua New Guinea. Mixed with limestone and stick mustard, arecoline and guvacoline, which are present in betel nut, are hydrolyzed into arecaidine and guvacine, respectively. As part of the study on dietary habits of Papuans residents, our laboratory was asked to analyze the four alkaloids in hair to document long-term exposure. Hair samples were collected from 19 adult subjects (males = 11; females = 8), by some of the authors, and were sent to the laboratory for analysis. The four alkaloids have very similar chemical structures. In order to accurately identify the drugs, two methods were developed. First, the compounds were identified using an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography system coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Then, they were quantified by an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography system coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. After decontamination with dichloromethane, hair samples were cut into very small segments and 20 mg were incubated in methanol for 2 h 30 min in an ultrasound bath. After cooling, the methanol was evaporated to dryness in presence of 20-μL octanol to prevent volatilization. Nicotine-d4 was used as an internal standard. Linearity was observed for concentrations ranging from the limit of quantification to 20 ng/mg for arecoline, arecaidine, guvacine and guvacoline. Measured concentrations were in the range 60 pg/mg to 18 ng/mg for arecoline (n = 19), 14 pg/mg to 2.5 ng/mg for guvacoline (n = 11), 63 pg/mg to 3.8 ng/mg for arecaidine (n = 11) and 100 pg/mg to 3.2 ng/mg for guvacine (n = 6). There was no correlation between concentrations of arecoline and arecaidine (ratio from 0.01 to 0.18) and guvacoline and guvacine (ratio from 0.06 to 3.50). However, the identification of these substances in hair is a good marker of consumption of betel nut and allows us to document a local practice that remains difficult to evaluate just by questioning.

中文翻译：

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使用UPLC-MS / MS和UPLC-Q-Tof-MS测试巴布亚滥用者头发中的槟榔生物碱。

槟榔是槟榔棕榈的果实，生长在巴布亚新几内亚。槟榔中的槟榔碱和番石榴碱与石灰石和芥末酱混合，分别水解成槟榔碱和番石榴碱。作为对巴布亚居民饮食习惯的研究的一部分，我们的实验室被要求分析头发中的四种生物碱以记录长期暴露。一些作者从19位成年受试者（男性= 11；女性= 8）中收集了头发样本，并将其送至实验室进行分析。四种生物碱具有非常相似的化学结构。为了准确识别药物，开发了两种方法。首先，使用与飞行时间质谱联用的超高效液相色谱系统鉴定化合物。然后，通过串联质谱联用的超高效液相色谱系统对它们进行了定量。用二氯甲烷净化后，将头发样本切成非常小的片段，然后在超声波浴中将20 mg的甲醇溶液在甲醇中孵育2小时30分钟。冷却后，在20-L辛醇存在下将甲醇蒸发至干，以防止挥发。尼古丁-d4用作内标。槟榔碱，槟榔碱，番石榴碱和番石榴碱的浓度范围从定量极限到20 ng / mg，观察到线性。槟榔碱（n = 19）的测量浓度范围为60 pg / mg至18 ng / mg，番石榴碱（n = 11）的测量浓度范围为14 pg / mg至2.5 ng / mg，槟榔碱的测量浓度范围为63 pg / mg至3.8 ng / mg槟榔碱（n = 11）和番石榴碱（n = 6）为100 pg / mg至3.2 ng / mg。槟榔碱和槟榔碱的浓度（比率为0.01至0.18）与番石榴碱和番石榴碱的浓度（比率为0.06至3.50）之间没有相关性。但是，对头发中这些物质的鉴定是食用槟榔的一个很好的标志，并且使我们能够记录仅通过询问仍难以评估的当地做法。