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Yen YT, Zhou SL, Huang DY, Tseng SH, Wang CF, Chyueh SC. 2-Methyl-4'-(methylthio)-2-morpholinopropiophenone: A commercial photoinitiator being used as a new psychoactive substance. Forensic Sci Int 2024; 360:112074. [PMID: 38823217 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112074] [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] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
Synthetic cathinones, which are novel psychoactive substances, have caused major social problems worldwide. A substance called 2-methyl-4'-(methylthio)-2-morpholinopropiophenone (MMMP), which is employed as a commercial industrial photoinitiator for triggering polymerization, has a basic cathinone backbone; however, few reports regarding MMMP have been published. In the current study, three potential metabolites of MMMP-namely hydroxy-MMMP (HO-MMMP), HO-MMMP-sulfoxide (HO-MMMP-SO), and HO-MMMP-sulfone (HO-MMMP-SO2)-were successfully synthesized, and MMMP and these three potential metabolites were used as standards to establish an analytic method based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the quantitative analysis of urine. This analytic method and related parameters-including dynamic range, limit of quantification, selectivity, precision, accuracy, carryover effect, matrix effect, interference, and dilution integrity-were optimized and validated. Forty urine samples from 1,691 individuals who abused drugs were determined to contain MMMP, HO-MMMP, HO-MMMP-SO, or HO-MMMP-SO2; the results of this study indicate that approximately 2.37 % of drug abusers in Taiwan consumed MMMP in 2023. These 40 urine samples were analyzed to investigate the metabolism of MMMP in humans. The results indicate that HO-MMMP-SO is the main metabolite in human urine. This study recommends HO-MMMP-SO with a concentration of 2 ng/mL as a target and cutoff value, respectively, for identifying individuals who have consumed MMMP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao-Te Yen
- Department of Forensic Science, Investigation Bureau, Ministry of Justice, Xindian Dist, New Taipei City 231209, Taiwan.
| | - Song-Lin Zhou
- Department of Forensic Science, Investigation Bureau, Ministry of Justice, Xindian Dist, New Taipei City 231209, Taiwan
| | - Deng-Ying Huang
- Department of Forensic Science, Investigation Bureau, Ministry of Justice, Xindian Dist, New Taipei City 231209, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Hao Tseng
- Department of Forensic Science, Investigation Bureau, Ministry of Justice, Xindian Dist, New Taipei City 231209, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Feng Wang
- Department of Forensic Science, Investigation Bureau, Ministry of Justice, Xindian Dist, New Taipei City 231209, Taiwan
| | - San-Chong Chyueh
- Department of Forensic Science, Investigation Bureau, Ministry of Justice, Xindian Dist, New Taipei City 231209, Taiwan
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Al-Asmari AI. A critical review of workplace drug testing methods for old and new psychoactive substances: Gaps, advances, and perspectives. Saudi Pharm J 2024; 32:102065. [PMID: 38645754 PMCID: PMC11031841 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsps.2024.102065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Workplace drug testing (WDT) is essential to prevent drug abuse disorders among the workforce because it can impair work performance and safety. However, WDT is limited by many challenges, such as urine adulteration, specimen selection, and new psychoactive substances (NPS). This review examined the issues related to WDT. Various scientific databases were searched for articles on WDT for drug detection published between 1986 (when WDT started) and January 2024. The review discussed the history, importance, and challenges of WDT, such as time of specimen collection/testing, specimen adulteration, interference in drug testing, and detection of NPS. It evaluated the best methods to detect NPS in forensic laboratories. Moreover, it compared different techniques that can enhance WDT, such as immunoassays, targeted mass spectrometry, and nontargeted mass spectrometry. These techniques can be used to screen for known and unknown drugs and metabolites in biological samples. This review assessed the strengths and weaknesses of such techniques, such as their validation, identification, library search, and reference standards. Furthermore, this review contrasted the benefits and drawbacks of different specimens for WDT and discussed studies that have applied these techniques for WDT. WDT remains the best approach for preventing drug abuse in the workplace, despite the challenges posed by NPS and limitations of the screening methods. Nontargeted techniques using high-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (MS)/gas chromatography-tandem MS can improve the detection and identification of drugs during WDT and provide useful information regarding the prevalence, trends, and toxicity of both traditional and NPS drugs. Finally, this review suggested that WDT can be improved by using a combination of techniques, multiple specimens, and online library searches in case of new NPS as well as by updating the methods and databases to include new NPS and metabolites as they emerge. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first review to address NPS as an issue in WDT and its application and propose the best methods to detect these substances in the workplace environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Ibrahim Al-Asmari
- Special Toxicological Analysis Section, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Department, King Faisal Special Hospital and Research Center, P.O. Box 3354, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia
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3
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Aldubayyan AA, Castrignanò E, Elliott S, Abbate V. Short- and long-term stability of synthetic cathinones and dihydro-metabolites in human urine samples. Forensic Toxicol 2024:10.1007/s11419-024-00684-2. [PMID: 38554217 DOI: 10.1007/s11419-024-00684-2] [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: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Synthetic cathinones constitute the second largest group of new psychoactive substances, which are often used for recreational purposes and reported in toxicological analysis. Various factors may influence the stability of synthetic cathinones between sampling and analysis, and therefore, stability studies are required to determine the best storage conditions as well as extend the period of detection. METHODS This study involved sixteen synthetic cathinones and ten dihydro-metabolites spiked in human urine to evaluate the stability under common storage conditions to imitate real forensic toxicology samples. The samples were stored at either room temperature (22-23 °C) for up to 3 days, refrigerated (4 °C) for up to 14 days or frozen (-40 °C) for up to 12 months, and analyzed in triplicate using a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method. RESULTS Analytes' concentrations decreased over time, although slower when stored frozen. All analytes remained stable (> 80%) for 1 month when stored frozen before losses in content were more apparent for some compounds, depending on their chemical structure. Under all storage conditions, the highest instability was observed for analytes containing halogens (i.e., chlorine or fluorine). Thus, halogenated analytes were further investigated by using liquid chromatography coupled to quadruple time-of-flight mass spectrometry to attempt identifying degradation products. CONCLUSIONS Irrespective of parent analytes, dihydro-metabolites had improved stability at each tested temperature, which highlights their importance as appropriate urine biomarkers when retesting is required after a long period of storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulaziz A Aldubayyan
- Department of Analytical, Environmental & Forensic Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Toxicology, Central Military Laboratory and Blood Bank, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Erika Castrignanò
- Department of Analytical, Environmental & Forensic Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Simon Elliott
- Department of Analytical, Environmental & Forensic Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
- Elliott Forensic Consulting, Birmingham, UK
| | - Vincenzo Abbate
- Department of Analytical, Environmental & Forensic Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK.
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Lima CD, Magalhães de Almeida Melo L, Arantes LC, Conceição NDS, de França Schaffel I, Machado LL, de Queiroz Ferreira R, Pio Dos Santos WT. Simple and selective screening method for the synthetic cathinone MDPT in forensic samples using carbon nanofiber screen-printed electrodes. Talanta 2024; 269:125375. [PMID: 37977086 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2023.125375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
3',4'-Methylenedioxy-N-tert-butylcathinone (MDPT), also known as tBuONE or D-Tertylone, is a synthetic cathinone (SC) frequently abused for recreational purposes due to its potent stimulant effects and similarity to illegal substances like methamphetamine and ecstasy. The structural diversity and rapid introduction of new SC analogs to the market poses significant challenges for law enforcement and analytical methods for preliminary screening of illicit drugs. In this work, we present, for the first time, the electrochemical detection of MDPT using screen-printed electrodes modified with carbon nanofibers (SPE-CNF). MDPT exhibited three electrochemical processes (two oxidations and one reduction) on SPE-CNF. The proposed method for MDPT detection was optimized in 0.2 mol L-1 Britton-Robinson buffer solution at pH 10.0 using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The SPE-CNF showed a high stability for electrochemical responses of all redox processes of MDPT using the same or different electrodes, with relative standard deviations less than 4.7% and 1.5% (N = 3) for peak currents and peak potentials, respectively. Moreover, the proposed method provided a wide linear range for MDPT determination (0.90-112 μmol L-1) with low LOD (0.26 μmol L-1). Interference studies for two common adulterants, caffeine and paracetamol, and ten other illicit drugs, including amphetamine-like compounds and different SCs, showed that the proposed sensor is highly selective for the preliminarily identification of MDPT in seized forensic samples. Therefore, SPE-CNF with DPV can be successfully applied as a fast and simple screening method for MDPT identification in forensic analysis, addressing the significant challenges posed by the structural diversity of SCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Diana Lima
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Campus JK, 39100000, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Larissa Magalhães de Almeida Melo
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Campus JK, 39100000, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Luciano Chaves Arantes
- Laboratório de Química e Física Forense, Instituto de Criminalística, Polícia Civil do Distrito Federal, 70610-907, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Nathália Dos Santos Conceição
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Campus Goiabeiras, 29075910, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Izabela de França Schaffel
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Campus Goiabeiras, 29075910, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Lara Lima Machado
- Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Campus JK, 39100000, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Rafael de Queiroz Ferreira
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Campus Goiabeiras, 29075910, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Wallans Torres Pio Dos Santos
- Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Campus JK, 39100000, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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He TF, Zhu HH, Lin XW, Tian YY, Sun LM, Guan X, Zhang HY, Tan L, Wang SC. A highly efficient liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) assay for etomidate and etomidate acid in urine, liver and kidney. J Pharmacol Toxicol Methods 2024; 125:107490. [PMID: 38141867 DOI: 10.1016/j.vascn.2023.107490] [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] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
Etomidate (ETO) is a highly-efficient drug that can induce anesthesia with increasing doses, thus subject to strict regulation. However, an accurate and efficient method for ETO intake detection is currently lacking. Therefore, this study developed a straightforward sample preparation method using LC-MS/MS to analyze ETO and its primary metabolite, etomidate acid (ETA), in urine, liver, and kidney samples. Snap frozen pig liver and kidney samples were ground into a fine powder. Then, all the biological samples, including human urine, pig liver and kidney tissues, were deproteinized using acetonitrile and filtered for analysis. The separation was achieved in 9.01 min with gradient elution. The calibration curves ranged from 0.5 to 50 ng/mL for ETO in urine and 0.5 to 50 ng/g in liver and kidney, while the curves ranged from 1 to 100 ng/mL for ETA in urine and 1 to 100 ng/g in liver and kidney. The correlation coefficients (R2) were greater than 0.9957. The Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) for ETO were 0.2 and 0.5 ng/mL in urine samples and 0.2 and 0.5 ng/g in liver and kidney samples, respectively. For ETA, the LOD and LOQ were 0.5 and 1 ng/mL in urine samples and 0.5 and 1 ng/g in liver and kidney samples. This method was assessed by validation parameters, including selectivity, intra- and inter-day precision and accuracy, recovery, matrix effect, dilution integrity and stability. It was successfully applied to a practical case, revealing ETO and ETA concentrations in urine of 1.01 and 5.58 μg/mL, in liver samples of 12.30 and 1.13 μg/g, and in kidney samples of 6.95 and 4.23 μg/g. This suggests that the method is suitable for routine forensic detection of illicit ETO abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian-Fu He
- Guangzhou Forensic Science Institute, Guangzhou 510000, China.
| | - Huan-Hui Zhu
- Guangzhou Forensic Science Institute, Guangzhou 510000, China
| | - Xian-Wen Lin
- Guangzhou Forensic Science Institute, Guangzhou 510000, China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Tian
- Guangzhou Forensic Science Institute, Guangzhou 510000, China
| | - Li-Min Sun
- Guangzhou Forensic Science Institute, Guangzhou 510000, China
| | - Xu Guan
- Guangzhou Forensic Science Institute, Guangzhou 510000, China
| | - Hai-Yan Zhang
- Guangzhou Forensic Science Institute, Guangzhou 510000, China
| | - Li Tan
- Guangzhou Forensic Science Institute, Guangzhou 510000, China
| | - Song-Cai Wang
- Guangzhou Forensic Science Institute, Guangzhou 510000, China
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Feigel B, Adamowicz P, Wybraniec S. Recent advances in analysis of new psychoactive substances by means of liquid chromatography coupled with low-resolution tandem mass spectrometry. Anal Bioanal Chem 2024; 416:107-124. [PMID: 38001373 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-023-05057-z] [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] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
The number of methods for the analysis of new psychoactive substances (NPS) is continually increasing, and there is no indication that this trend will change in the near future. The constantly growing market of "designer drugs" makes it necessary to develop new methods of their analysis. The aim of this review is to present the multi-component methods of detection and identification of NPS using low-resolution tandem mass spectrometry coupled with liquid chromatography. For this purpose, 36 articles were selected by applying strictly defined search criteria. Due to the large differences in the matrices and physicochemical properties of the analytes, the described research methods are diverse. These differences are visible in sample preparation methods, chromatographic columns, mobile phases, gradients, or additives to mobile phases used. This work collects and organizes the existing information on the subject of NPS screening analysis methods and will be helpful to forensic scientists working on this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bartłomiej Feigel
- Jan Sehn Institute of Forensic Research, Cracow, Poland.
- Cracow University of Technology, Cracow, Poland.
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Wang Q, Bian Y, Zhang Y, Sun DM, Wang WL, Zhou Y, Liu ZF, Feng XS, He ZW. Development of Sampling, Pretreatment and Detection Methods for Ephedrine and Related Substances in Complex Samples. Microchem J 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2023.108538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
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8
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Aldubayyan AA, Castrignanò E, Elliott S, Abbate V. Influence of long-term storage temperatures and sodium fluoride preservation on the stability of synthetic cathinones and dihydro-metabolites in human whole blood. Forensic Toxicol 2023; 41:81-93. [PMID: 36652059 PMCID: PMC9849191 DOI: 10.1007/s11419-022-00634-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Synthetic cathinones, one of the largest groups of new psychoactive substances, represent a large analytical and interpretative challenge in forensic laboratories. Of these is the synthetic cathinones' instability in different biological samples, which may lead to drug concentration discrepancies when interpreting toxicological findings. In this study, the stability of a panel of synthetic cathinones and their dihydro-metabolites (n = 26) together with internal standard was monitored in human whole blood stored at various temperatures over 6 months. The influence of sodium fluoride as a preservative in blood collection tubes was also investigated. METHODS Samples were extracted using a two-step liquid-liquid extraction technique, and analyzed using a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method following recommendations of published guidelines. RESULTS The influence of temperature over analytes' stability was an important element in whole blood samples, with - 40 °C being the best storage temperature for all tested analytes. Sodium fluoride did not significantly affect the stability of cathinones except at room temperature. Dihydro-metabolites displayed better stability in whole blood samples and remained detectable for a longer period of time under all tested conditions. CONCLUSIONS The data suggest that samples containing synthetic cathinones should be analyzed immediately, if possible. Alternatively, whole blood samples should be stored frozen (at - 40 °C or lower); however, (quantitative) results should be interpreted with caution after long-term storage. The data also promote the use of dihydro-metabolites as biomarkers for synthetic cathinones intake, as these reduced metabolites may be detected for longer period of time when compared with parent drugs in whole blood samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulaziz A Aldubayyan
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Toxicology, Central Military Laboratory and Blood Bank, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Erika Castrignanò
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Simon Elliott
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
- Elliott Forensic Consulting, Birmingham, UK
| | - Vincenzo Abbate
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK.
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Cheng JYK, Hui JWS, Chan WS, So MH, Hong YH, Leung WT, Ku KW, Yeung HS, Lo KM, Fung KM, Ip CY, Dao KL, Cheung BKK. Interpol review of toxicology 2019-2022. Forensic Sci Int Synerg 2022; 6:100303. [PMID: 36597440 PMCID: PMC9799715 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsisyn.2022.100303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Bobbie Kwok-keung Cheung
- Corresponding author. Government Laboratory, 7/F, Homantin Government Offices, 88 Chung Hau Street, Ho Man Tin, Kowloon, SAR, Hong Kong, China. http://www.govtlab.gov.hk/
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Pascual-Caro S, Borrull F, Calull M, Aguilar C. Recent chromatographic and electrophoretic based methods for determining drugs of abuse in urine and oral fluid: A review from 2018 to June 2021. Trends Analyt Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2022.116705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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11
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A Quantitative LC–MS/MS Method for the Detection of 16 Synthetic Cathinones and 10 Metabolites and Its Application to Suspicious Clinical and Forensic Urine Samples. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15050510. [PMID: 35631341 PMCID: PMC9145040 DOI: 10.3390/ph15050510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Synthetic cathinones currently represent one of the most predominant (sub)-classes of new psychoactive substance (NPS) in illicit drug markets. Despite the increased concerns caused by the constant introduction of new analogues, these drugs are not commonly assayed in routine drug testing procedures and may not be detected in standard screening procedures. This study presents a validated liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method for the detection and quantification of 16 synthetic cathinones and 10 metabolites in human urine. Methods: The method was validated for all analytes using published guidelines. The evaluated parameters achieved acceptable values according to the set criteria. Potential abuse of synthetic cathinones was investigated in suspicious urine samples from Saudi Arabia originating from workplace drug testing, pre-employment and Accident & Emergency (A&E). Such samples generated a presumptive positive immunoassay for amphetamine; however, they yielded a negative LC–MS/MS confirmation for this analyte, following the recommended cutoff values of Substance of Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) guidelines. Results: 5.8% of the analyzed samples were found to contain at least one target analyte, namely mephedrone and N-ethylpentylone, as well as their dihydro-metabolites. The results also revealed polydrug use with the synthetic cathinones being present together with other classical stimulant drugs. Conclusions: This is the first report of NPS use in Saudi Arabia with respect to designer stimulant drugs. Confirmatory urine analyses for suspicious stimulant use should extend beyond classical stimulants to cover a broad range of NPSs and their metabolites in order to report any otherwise potentially undetected/new analyte.
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Chen JY, Chen GY, Wang SY, Fang CC, Chen LY, Weng TI. Development of an analytical method to detect simultaneously 219 new psychoactive substances and 65 other substances in urine specimens using LC-QqQ MS/MS with CriticalPairFinder and TransitionFinder. Talanta 2022; 238:122979. [PMID: 34857319 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2021.122979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Emerging new psychoactive substances (NPS) poses a great risk to public health. Analyzing these large numbers of NPS and other associated substances often relies on liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-QqQ-MS) with multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. However, the differentiation of critical pairs, coeluted isobaric and/or isomeric species, is one of the challenges for this analytical platform. MRM transitions with poor selectivity can jeopardize accurate quantification and lead to biased interpretation. Herein, we refined a novel workflow for developing an MRM-based method with in-house CriticalPairFinder and TransitionFinder tools for the effective identification of unique and selective MRM transitions. Transitions selected by TransitionFinder showed much better accuracies than those selected only by fragment abundance in some mixtures of critical pairs. Using the proposed analytical strategy, a method that can simultaneously determine 219 NPS and 65 other substances across a variety of NPS classes in urine samples was developed, validated and applied to analyze clinical urine samples. This automated workflow is anticipated to facilitate method development for analyzing complex analytes while considering selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ju-Yu Chen
- Forensic and Clinical Toxicology Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department and Graduate Institute of Forensic Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Guan-Yuan Chen
- Forensic and Clinical Toxicology Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department and Graduate Institute of Forensic Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - San-Yuan Wang
- Master Program in Clinical Genomics and Proteomics, School of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Chung Fang
- Forensic and Clinical Toxicology Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Emergency Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Lian-Yu Chen
- Department and Graduate Institute of Forensic Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Kunming Prevention Center, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Te-I Weng
- Forensic and Clinical Toxicology Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department and Graduate Institute of Forensic Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Emergency Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
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Li Y, Lian R, Yang F, Xu Z, Cao F, Wang R, Liang C, Zhang Y. Rapid quantitation of three synthetic cathinones in urine by magnetic dispersive solid-phase extraction combined with DART-HRMS. ANALYTICAL METHODS : ADVANCING METHODS AND APPLICATIONS 2021; 13:5048-5055. [PMID: 34647545 DOI: 10.1039/d1ay01280k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
For the rapid quantitation of three synthetic cathinones, namely 1-(4-chlorophenyl)-2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)pentan-1-one (4-Cl-α-PVP), 1-(4-methylphenyl)-2-(methylamino)pentan-1-one (4-MPD), and 1-(5,6,7,8-tetrahydronaphthalen-2-yl)-2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)pentan-1-one (β-TH-naphyrone), in urine, a new method was established using magnetic dispersive solid-phase extraction (MDSPE) combined with direct analysis in real time and high-resolution mass spectrometry (DART-HRMS). Methcathinone-D3 and proadifen (SKF525A) were used as the internal standards. Hydrophobic magnetic adsorbents were used and consisted of hydrophobic functional group (divinylbenzene) and hydrophilic functional group (vinylpyrrolidone) at a ratio of 3 : 1, and NaH2PO4//NaOH buffer (0.2 M, pH 7) was used in MDSPE. Detection was conducted by DART-HRMS in less than 1 min. For 4-Cl-α-PVP, 4-MPD and β-TH-Naphyrone, the limits of detection were 0.1 ng mL-1, 0.05 ng mL-1 and 0.1 ng mL-1, and the linear ranges were 0.5-100 ng mL-1, 0.2-100 ng mL-1 and 0.2-100 ng mL-1, respectively. The correlation coefficients were all greater than 0.99. The precision and deviation of accuracy were all within ±15%, and the stability of the samples was high under various conditions. The method was successfully applied to detect 4-Cl-α-PVP, 4-MPD and β-TH-naphyrone in rat urine after subcutaneous administration. In summary, a fast and convenient detection method was established, providing new and effective technical support for the rapid quantitation of three synthetic cathinones (4-Cl-α-PVP, 4-MPD and β-TH-Naphyrone) for forensic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yawen Li
- China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, State Key Laboratory of New Drug and Pharmaceutical Process, Shanghai 200040, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Crime Scene Evidence, Shanghai Institute of Forensic Science, Shanghai 200083, China
| | - Ru Lian
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Crime Scene Evidence, Shanghai Institute of Forensic Science, Shanghai 200083, China
| | - Feiyu Yang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Crime Scene Evidence, Shanghai Research Institute of Criminal Science and Technology, Shanghai 200083, China
| | - Zhiru Xu
- State Key Laboratory of New Drug and Pharmaceutical Process, Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai 200437, China
| | - Fangqi Cao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Crime Scene Evidence, Shanghai Research Institute of Criminal Science and Technology, Shanghai 200083, China
| | - Rong Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Crime Scene Evidence, Shanghai Institute of Forensic Science, Shanghai 200083, China
| | - Chen Liang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Crime Scene Evidence, Shanghai Institute of Forensic Science, Shanghai 200083, China
| | - Yurong Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Crime Scene Evidence, Shanghai Institute of Forensic Science, Shanghai 200083, China
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Pérez-Alcaraz A, Borrull F, Calull M, Aguilar C. Cathinones in urine samples: A review of recent advances for their determination by chromatographic and related techniques. Trends Analyt Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2021.116347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
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