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Sparkes E, Maloney CJ, Markham JW, Dane C, Boyd R, Gilchrist J, Moir M, Gordon R, Luo JL, Pike E, Walker KA, Kassiou M, McGregor IS, Kevin RC, Hibbs DE, Jorgensen WT, Banister SD, Cairns EA, Ametovski A. Structure-Activity Relationships, Deuteration, and Fluorination of Synthetic Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists Related to AKB48, 5F-AKB-48, and AFUBIATA. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:2160-2181. [PMID: 38766866 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) are a growing class of new psychoactive substances (NPS) commonly derived from an N-alkylated indole, indazole, or 7-azaindole scaffold. Diversification of this core (at the 3-position) with amide-linked pendant amino acid groups and modular N-alkylation (of the indole/indazole/7-azaindole core) ensures that novel SCRAs continue to enter the illicit drug market rapidly. In response to the large number of SCRAs that have been detected, pharmacological evaluation of this NPS class has become increasingly common. Adamantane-derived SCRAs have consistently appeared throughout the market since 2011, and as such, a systematic set of these derivatives was synthesized and pharmacologically evaluated. Deuterated and fluorinated adamantane derivatives were prepared to evaluate typical hydrogen bioisosteres, as well as evaluation of the newly detected AFUBIATA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Sparkes
- Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
- School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Callan J Maloney
- Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
- School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Jack W Markham
- Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
- School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Sydney Pharmacy School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Chianna Dane
- School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Rochelle Boyd
- Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
- Sydney Pharmacy School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Jayson Gilchrist
- School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Michael Moir
- National Deuteration Facility, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Sydney, NSW 2234, Australia
| | - Rebecca Gordon
- Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
- Sydney Pharmacy School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Jia Lin Luo
- Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Edward Pike
- Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
- School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Department of Chemistry, University of York, York YO10 5DD, U.K
| | - Katelyn A Walker
- Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Michael Kassiou
- School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Iain S McGregor
- Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Richard C Kevin
- Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, St Vincent's Hospital Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - David E Hibbs
- Sydney Pharmacy School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - William T Jorgensen
- School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Samuel D Banister
- Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
- School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Elizabeth A Cairns
- Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
- Sydney Pharmacy School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Adam Ametovski
- Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
- School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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Chen S, Qie Y, Hua Z, Zhang H, Wang Y, Di B, Su M. Preparation of poly(methacrylic acid-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate)-functionalized magnetic polydopamine nanoparticles for the extraction of six cannabinoids in wastewater followed by UHPLC-MS/MS. Talanta 2023; 264:124752. [PMID: 37276675 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2023.124752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Phytocannabinoids and their synthetic analogs (natural and synthetic cannabinoids) are illicit drugs that are widely abused worldwide. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is an objective approach for the estimation of population-level exposure to a wide range of substances, especially drugs of abuse. However, the concentrations of cannabinoids in wastewater are extremely low (frequently at the levels of nanograms per liter), and the existing pretreatment procedures for wastewater have the disadvantages of time-consumption or low extraction recoveries. This study aimed to propose a novel poly (methacrylic acid-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate)-functionalized polydopamine-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticle (Fe3O4@PDA@poly (MAA-co-EGDMA)) as an adsorbent, and provide a highly sensitive quantitative analytical technique for the detection of five synthetic cannabinoids (SCs: 5 F-EDMB-PINACA, FUB-APINACA, MDMB-4en-PINACA, MDMB-FUBINACA, and PB-22) and one cannabis-related human metabolite (THC-COOH) in wastewater. The magnetic adsorbents were fully characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), infrared spectroscopy (IR), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Subsequently, an MSPE-UHPLC-MS/MS method was developed and validated for the determination of six trace analytes in wastewater. The validation results showed that the method has limits of quantification as low as 0.1-1.0 ng/L. Additionally, the recoveries ranged from 62.81 to 124.02%, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) of intraday and interday precision were less than 15%. This MSPE-UHPLC-MS/MS method was successfully applied to real wastewater samples, and the whole analytical process of one sample from pretreatment to the obtained quantitative results was completed in less than 30 min. Thus, the proposed method based on Fe3O4@PDA@poly (MAA-co-EGDMA) is a convenient, rapid, sensitive and reliable method for the determination of trace psychoactive drugs in wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simin Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China; China National Narcotics Control Commission - China Pharmaceutical University Joint Laboratory on Key Technologies of Narcotics Control, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Yiqi Qie
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China; China National Narcotics Control Commission - China Pharmaceutical University Joint Laboratory on Key Technologies of Narcotics Control, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Zhendong Hua
- China National Narcotics Control Commission - China Pharmaceutical University Joint Laboratory on Key Technologies of Narcotics Control, Nanjing, 210009, China; Key Laboratory of Drug Monitoring and Control, Drug Intelligence and Forensic Center, Ministry of Public Security, Beijing, 100741, China
| | - Haoyue Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China; China National Narcotics Control Commission - China Pharmaceutical University Joint Laboratory on Key Technologies of Narcotics Control, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Youmei Wang
- China National Narcotics Control Commission - China Pharmaceutical University Joint Laboratory on Key Technologies of Narcotics Control, Nanjing, 210009, China; Key Laboratory of Drug Monitoring and Control, Drug Intelligence and Forensic Center, Ministry of Public Security, Beijing, 100741, China.
| | - Bin Di
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China; China National Narcotics Control Commission - China Pharmaceutical University Joint Laboratory on Key Technologies of Narcotics Control, Nanjing, 210009, China.
| | - Mengxiang Su
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China; China National Narcotics Control Commission - China Pharmaceutical University Joint Laboratory on Key Technologies of Narcotics Control, Nanjing, 210009, China.
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3
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Fan X, Zhang J, Fu X, Zhou B, Xu Z, Huang H, Han S, Li X. Analysis of synthetic cannabinoids in wastewater of major cities in China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 827:154267. [PMID: 35247413 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) could pose serious health risks to its users. It is necessary to monitor its community consumption. Wastewater-based epidemiology is a potentially useful approach in this regard. However, limited research has been conducted to investigate the occurrence of SCs in wastewater. In this study, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was optimized to analyze 8 SCs and metabolites (in total 16 analytes) in wastewater. The limit of quantification for this method for certain analytes in wastewater was as low as 0.03 ng L-1. The validated method was used to examine the stability of the analytes under different conditions and to examine their occurrence in wastewater collected from 31 major cities across China. The overwhelming majority of the analytes were stable within 24 h, even at room temperature. However, 5-fluoro MDMB-PICA and MDMB-4en-PINACA butanoic acid metabolite showed significant degradation within 120 days even when stored at -20 °C or -80 °C. At least one cannabinoid or their metabolite was detected in 21 cities. In the city with the highest detection rate, at least one synthetic cannabinoid or metabolite was detected in 95% of samples of the city. MDMB-4en-PINACA butanoic acid metabolite had the highest detection frequency (in 13.4% of the samples). These results indicated that SCs were used in a significant number of Chinese cities. A few parent drugs (MDMB-4en-PINACA, ADB-BUTINACA, 5-fluoro MDMB-PICA, 4-fluoro MDMB-BUTINACA) were detected in a small fraction of wastewater samples, possibly due to release from manufacturing of these cannabinoids or illegal addition of electronic cigarettes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolin Fan
- Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, PR China
| | - Jianhe Zhang
- Foundation Department, Engineering University of People's Armed Police, 710086 Xi'an, PR China
| | - Xiaofang Fu
- Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, PR China
| | - Bo Zhou
- Weiming Environmental Molecular Diagnostics Inc., 215500 Changshu, PR China
| | - Zeqiong Xu
- Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, PR China
| | - Hongmei Huang
- Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, PR China
| | - Sheng Han
- Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, PR China
| | - Xiqing Li
- Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, PR China.
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Sparkes E, Cairns EA, Kevin RC, Lai F, Grafinger KE, Chen S, Deventer MH, Ellison R, Boyd R, Martin LJ, McGregor IS, Gerona RR, Hibbs DE, Auwärter V, Glass M, Stove C, Banister SD. Structure-activity relationships of valine, tert-leucine, and phenylalanine amino acid-derived synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists related to ADB-BUTINACA, APP-BUTINACA, and ADB-P7AICA. RSC Med Chem 2022; 13:156-174. [PMID: 35308023 PMCID: PMC8864554 DOI: 10.1039/d1md00242b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) remain one the most prevalent classes of new psychoactive substances (NPS) worldwide, and examples are generally poorly characterised at the time of first detection. We have synthesised a systematic library of amino acid-derived indole-, indazole-, and 7-azaindole-3-carboxamides related to recently detected drugs ADB-BUTINACA, APP-BUTINACA and ADB-P7AICA, and characterised these ligands for in vitro binding and agonist activity at cannabinoid receptor subtypes 1 and 2 (CB1 and CB2), and in vivo cannabimimetic activity. All compounds showed high affinity for CB1 (K i 0.299-538 nM) and most at CB2 (K i = 0.912-2190 nM), and most functioned as high efficacy agonists of CB1 and CB2 in a fluorescence-based membrane potential assay and a βarr2 recruitment assay (NanoBiT®), with some compounds being partial agonists in the NanoBiT® assay. Key structure-activity relationships (SARs) were identified for CB1/CB2 binding and CB1/CB2 functional activities; (1) for a given core, affinities and potencies for tert-leucinamides (ADB-) > valinamides (AB-) ≫ phenylalaninamides (APP-); (2) for a given amino acid side-chain, affinities and potencies for indazoles > indoles ≫ 7-azaindoles. Radiobiotelemetric evaluation of ADB-BUTINACA, APP-BUTINACA and ADB-P7AICA in mice demonstrated that ADB-BUTINACA and ADB-P7AICA were cannabimimetic at 0.1 mg kg-1 and 10 mg kg-1 doses, respectively, as measured by pronounced decreases in core body temperature. APP-BUTINACA failed to elicit any hypothermic response up to the maximally tested 10 mg kg-1 dose, yielding an in vivo potency ranking of ADB-BUTINACA > ADB-P7AICA > APP-BUTINACA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Sparkes
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
- The Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney NSW 2050 Australia
| | - Elizabeth A Cairns
- The Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney NSW 2050 Australia
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney NSW 2050 Australia
| | - Richard C Kevin
- The Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney NSW 2050 Australia
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney NSW 2050 Australia
| | - Felcia Lai
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
| | - Katharina Elisabeth Grafinger
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Forensic Toxicology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg 79104 Freiburg Germany
| | - Shuli Chen
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Otago Dunedin 9016 New Zealand
| | - Marie H Deventer
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Bioanalysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University Ottergemsesteenweg 460 9000 Ghent Belgium
| | - Ross Ellison
- Clinical Toxicology and Environmental Biomonitoring Laboratory, University of California San Francisco CA 94143 USA
| | - Rochelle Boyd
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
- The Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney NSW 2050 Australia
| | - Lewis J Martin
- The Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney NSW 2050 Australia
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney NSW 2050 Australia
| | - Iain S McGregor
- The Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney NSW 2050 Australia
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney NSW 2050 Australia
| | - Roy R Gerona
- Clinical Toxicology and Environmental Biomonitoring Laboratory, University of California San Francisco CA 94143 USA
| | - David E Hibbs
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
| | - Volker Auwärter
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Forensic Toxicology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg 79104 Freiburg Germany
| | - Michelle Glass
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Otago Dunedin 9016 New Zealand
| | - Christophe Stove
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Bioanalysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University Ottergemsesteenweg 460 9000 Ghent Belgium
| | - Samuel D Banister
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
- The Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney NSW 2050 Australia
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Pandopulos AJ, Simpson BS, Bade R, O'Brien JW, Yadav MK, White JM, Gerber C. A method and its application to determine the amount of cannabinoids in sewage sludge and biosolids. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:59652-59664. [PMID: 34143389 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-14921-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Xenobiotic cannabinoids (phyto and synthetic) are highly lipophilic compounds and have been shown to accumulate within the particulate fraction of wastewater. Limited research has been conducted to investigate the occurrence of cannabinoids in sewage sludge and/or biosolids. The analysis of excreted cannabinoids from sewage sludge or biosolids can provide information about community health, as well as potentially long-term environmental impacts. In this study, a liquid-liquid extraction method was developed for the extraction and detection method for 50 cannabinoids by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, including the cannabis urinary biomarker 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-COOH), Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and a variety of different generation synthetic cannabinoids and their respective metabolites. Method validation assessed criteria including linearity, selectivity, recovery, and matrix effects. The method was applied to samples collected from a conventional activated sludge reactor treatment facility from various stages of the treatment process. Three cannabinoids were abundant in primary sludge including THC, THC-COOH, and CBD, where THC was the most ubiquitous with concentrations up to 3200 μg kg-1. Only THC and THC-COOH were detectable in aged biosolids. The detection of some cannabinoids in biosolids demonstrated that these compounds are stable throughout the treatment process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron J Pandopulos
- Clinical and Health Sciences (CHS), Health and Biomedical Innovation, University of South Australia, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia
| | - Bradley S Simpson
- Clinical and Health Sciences (CHS), Health and Biomedical Innovation, University of South Australia, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia
| | - Richard Bade
- Clinical and Health Sciences (CHS), Health and Biomedical Innovation, University of South Australia, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Science (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street Woolloongabba, Brisbane, Queensland, 4102, Australia
| | - Jake W O'Brien
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Science (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street Woolloongabba, Brisbane, Queensland, 4102, Australia
| | - Meena K Yadav
- Allwater, Adelaide Services Alliance, 77 Wakefield Street, Adelaide, 5000, Australia
| | - Jason M White
- Clinical and Health Sciences (CHS), Health and Biomedical Innovation, University of South Australia, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia
| | - Cobus Gerber
- Clinical and Health Sciences (CHS), Health and Biomedical Innovation, University of South Australia, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia.
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Alam RM, Keating JJ. "Walking the nitrogen around the ring": Chemical synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of novel 4-, 5-, 6-, and 7-azaindazole analogs of the synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist MDMB-PINACA. Drug Test Anal 2021; 14:277-297. [PMID: 34654062 DOI: 10.1002/dta.3180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Over the past decade, synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) have rapidly evolved to encompass a wide range of structurally diverse new psychoactive substances (NPS), including derivatives that incorporate indole, indazole, 7-azaindole, γ-carbolinone, or carbazole heterocyclic scaffolds. The introduction of legislative measures seeking to control the availability of NPS on the recreational drug scene has likely contributed to the continued emergence of novel SCRA analogs, which often evade regulatory control. However, the detection and/or identification of azaindazole-type SCRAs in seized material has not yet been reported (September, 2021). It is plausible that SCRAs bearing a 1,3-disubstituted azaindazole scaffold may possess cannabimimetic activity, given their structural similarity with known indole, indazole, and azaindole SCRAs. In view of these antecedents, a set of four novel isomeric 4-, 5-, 6-, and 7-azaindazole analogs of the known potent indazole SCRA, MDMB-PINACA, were synthesized using a Pd-catalyzed aminocarbonylation strategy. The complementary use of ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), 1D- and 2D-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has permitted the spectroscopic differentiation, unambiguous structural assignment, and rapid separation of novel isomeric 4-, 5-, 6-, and 7-azaindazole analogs of the indazole SCRA, MDMB-PINACA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan M Alam
- Analytical and Biological Chemistry Research Facility (ABCRF), University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,School of Chemistry, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - John J Keating
- Analytical and Biological Chemistry Research Facility (ABCRF), University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,School of Chemistry, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,School of Pharmacy, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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Sorribes-Soriano A, Verdeguer J, Pastor A, Armenta S, Esteve-Turrillas FA. Determination of Third-Generation Synthetic Cannabinoids in Oral Fluids. J Anal Toxicol 2021; 45:331-336. [PMID: 32685974 DOI: 10.1093/jat/bkaa091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
A procedure has been developed for the determination of third-generation synthetic cannabinoids in oral fluid samples by using a semi-automated microextraction by packed sorbent (MEPS) procedure and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) determination. Five synthetic cannabinoids were employed as model compounds 5F-ADB, MMB-CHMICA, THJ-2201, CUMYL-4CN-BINACA and MDMB-CHMCZCA. The most adequate operative conditions for MEPS were evaluated giving quantitative recoveries, from 89 to 124%, in synthetic and field saliva samples spiked with 125 and 250 μg/L of the studied cannabinoids, with the exception of MDMB-CHMCZCA in field saliva samples that provided slightly lower recoveries from 62 to 66%. A high sensitivity was obtained for the proposed MEPS-GC-MS procedure with limits of detection from 10 to 20 μg/L. The obtained results demonstrate the high potential of MEPS-GC-MS combination for semi-automated, selective and sensitive determination of synthetic cannabinoids in oral fluid samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aitor Sorribes-Soriano
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Valencia, Jeronim Muñoz Building, 50th Dr. Moliner St., 46100 Burjassot, Spain
| | - Josep Verdeguer
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Valencia, Jeronim Muñoz Building, 50th Dr. Moliner St., 46100 Burjassot, Spain
| | - Agustín Pastor
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Valencia, Jeronim Muñoz Building, 50th Dr. Moliner St., 46100 Burjassot, Spain
| | - Sergio Armenta
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Valencia, Jeronim Muñoz Building, 50th Dr. Moliner St., 46100 Burjassot, Spain
| | - Francesc A Esteve-Turrillas
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Valencia, Jeronim Muñoz Building, 50th Dr. Moliner St., 46100 Burjassot, Spain
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Pandopulos AJ, Bade R, O'Brien JW, Tscharke BJ, Mueller JF, Thomas K, White JM, Gerber C. Towards an efficient method for the extraction and analysis of cannabinoids in wastewater. Talanta 2020; 217:121034. [DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2020.121034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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9
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Alam RM, Keating JJ. Adding more "spice" to the pot: A review of the chemistry and pharmacology of newly emerging heterocyclic synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists. Drug Test Anal 2020; 12:297-315. [PMID: 31854124 DOI: 10.1002/dta.2752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) first appeared on the international recreational drug market in the early 2000s in the form of SCRA-containing herbal blends. Due to the cannabimimetic effects associated with the consumption of SCRAs, they have acquired an ill-informed reputation for being cheap, safe, and legal alternatives to illicit cannabis. Possessing high potency and affinity for the human cannabinoid receptor subtype-1 (CB1 ) and -2 (CB2 ), it is now understood that the recreational use of SCRAs can have severe adverse health consequences. The major public health problem arising from SCRA use has pressed legislators around the world to employ various control strategies to curb their recreational use. To circumvent legislative control measures, SCRA manufacturers have created a wide range of SCRA analogs that contain, more recently, previously unencountered azaindole, γ-carbolinone, or carbazole heterocyclic scaffolds. At present, little information is available regarding the chemical syntheses of these newly emerging classes of SCRA, from a clandestine perspective. When compared with previous generations of indole- and indazole-type SCRAs, current research suggests that many of these heterocyclic SCRA analogs maintain high affinity and efficacy at both CB1 and CB2 but largely evade legislative control. This review highlights the importance of continued research in the field of SCRA chemistry and pharmacology, as recreational SCRA use remains a global public health issue and represents a serious control challenge for law enforcement agencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan M Alam
- Analytical & Biological Chemistry Research Facility (ABCRF), University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,School of Chemistry, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - John J Keating
- Analytical & Biological Chemistry Research Facility (ABCRF), University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,School of Chemistry, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,School of Pharmacy, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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10
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Moir M, Lane S, Lai F, Connor M, Hibbs DE, Kassiou M. Strategies to develop selective CB2 receptor agonists from indole carboxamide synthetic cannabinoids. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 180:291-309. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.07.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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