A novel and innovative hair test to determine glucocorticoid levels in racing camels for use in assessment of doping, health, and disease. Issue 4 (23rd November 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shah, Iltaf; Haddow, Jody D.; Ibrahim, Hiba A.; Sheikh, Maryam V. A.; Alhemeiri, Fatima S.A.
• Is Part Of: Drug testing and analysis. Volume 10:Issue 4(2018)
• Page Start: 742
• Page End: 749
• Publication Date: 2017-11-23
• Subjects: camel hair -- glucocorticoids -- hair analysis -- sensitive LC–MS/MS; Drugs -- Analysis -- Periodicals; Drug testing -- Periodicals; Chemistry, Forensic -- Periodicals; 615.1901
• DOI: 10.1002/dta.2311
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1942-7603

Abstract

Abstract: The aim of this project was to develop and validate a new test for the analysis of glucocorticoids in camel hair and to use the new test to analyse hair samples from a variety of camel breeds in sports and racing applications. These findings could be of importance when evaluating racing camels for suspected doping offenses or for injury and disease control. Camel hair samples were collected from 30 non‐racing dromedary camels along with 3 racing camels in Al Ain, UAE and were decontaminated, pulverised, sonicated, and extracted prior to analysis. A liquid chromatographic–mass spectrometric method was employed to determine the levels of glucocorticoids in the hair samples. The 4 drugs of interest, namely hydrocortisone, dexamethasone, flumethasone and methylprednisolone, and an internal standard were quantified in camel hair samples. All 4 of the glucocorticoids were detected in camel hair samples with concentrations ranging between 31 and 935 pg/mg for hydrocortisone, 8–59 pg/mg for dexamethasone, 0.7–1034 pg/mg for flumethasone and 5–66 pg/mg for methylprednisolone in non‐racing camels. One of the racing camels displayed high concentrations of hydrocortisone (1130 pg/mg), flumethasone (2576 pg/mg), methylprednisone (1156 pg/mg) and dexamethasone (29 pg/mg). The authors believe this is the first report of a test for corticosteroids in camel hair. The new test has been validated according to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines. This new hair test could be useful for further studies in doping control, toxicological studies, pharmacological studies and other clinical applications in camel health, injury, and disease. Abstract : We are confident that we are reporting a novel, very robust, reliable, and inexpensive method for the estimation of glucocorticoids in camel hair. This novel hair test is a ground‐breaking innovation to add to the repertoire of camel blood and urine tests already in place for camel health and disease. This test will act as a deterrent and tackle glucocorticoids abuse in camel racing, which will be a big milestone in streamlining camel racing across the globe.