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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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Flasch M, Koellensperger G, Warth B. Comparing the sensitivity of a low- and a high-resolution mass spectrometry approach for xenobiotic trace analysis: An exposome-type case study. Anal Chim Acta 2023; 1279:341740. [PMID: 37827628 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2023.341740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
The chemical exposome consists of environmental exposures experienced throughout a lifetime but to date analytical approaches to investigate the plethora of low-abundance chemicals remain very limited. Liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) is commonly applied in untargeted exposome-wide analyses of xenobiotics in biological samples; however, human biomonitoring approaches usually utilize targeted low-resolution triple quadrupole (QQQ) mass spectrometry tailored to a small number of chemicals. HRMS can cover a broader chemical space but the detection of molecules from low-level exposure amidst a background of highly-abundant endogenous molecules has proven to be difficult. In this study, a triple quadrupole (QQQ) and a high-resolution mass spectrometer (HRMS) with identical chromatography were utilized to determine the limits of quantitation (LOQ) of >100 xenobiotics and estrogenic hormones in pure solvent and human urine. Both instrumental platforms are currently applied in exposure assessment studies and were operated in their most frequently used acquisition mode (full scan for HRMS and multiple reaction monitoring for QQQ) to mimic typical applications. For HRMS analyses, the median LOQ was 0.9 and 1.2 ng/mL in solvent and urine, respectively, while for low-resolution QQQ measurements, the median LOQ was 0.1 and 0.2 ng/mL in solvent and urine, respectively. To evaluate the calculated LOQs in complex biological samples, spot urine samples from 24 Nigerian female volunteers were investigated. The higher LOQ values for HRMS resulted in less quantified low-abundance analytes and decreased the number of compounds detected below the LOQ. Even at chronic low-dose exposure, such compounds might be relevant for human health because of high individual toxicity or potential mixture effects. Nevertheless, HRMS enabled the additional screening for exposure to unexpected/unknown analytes, including emerging compounds and biotransformation products. Therefore, a synergy between high- and low-resolution mass spectrometry may currently be the best option to elucidate and quantify xenobiotics in comprehensive exposome-wide association studies (ExWAS).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mira Flasch
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Währinger Straße 38, 1090, Vienna, Austria; University of Vienna, Vienna Doctoral School in Chemistry, Währinger Straße 42, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gunda Koellensperger
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Währinger Straße 38, 1090, Vienna, Austria; Exposome Austria, Research Infrastructure and National EIRENE Hub, Austria
| | - Benedikt Warth
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Währinger Straße 38, 1090, Vienna, Austria; Exposome Austria, Research Infrastructure and National EIRENE Hub, Austria.
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Nuñez-Montero M, Lombroni C, Maida NL, Rotolo MC, Pichini S, Papaseit E, Hladun O, Ventura M, Poyatos L, Pérez-Mañá C, Farré M, Marchei E. GC-MS/MS Determination of Synthetic Cathinones: 4-chloromethcathinone, N-ethyl Pentedrone, and N-ethyl Hexedrone in Oral Fluid and Sweat of Consumers under Controlled Administration: Pilot Study. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119387. [PMID: 37298339 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
This study presents a validated GC-MS/MS method for the detection and quantification of 4-chloromethcathinone or clephedrone (4-CMC), N-ethyl Pentedrone (NEP), and N-ethyl Hexedrone (NEH, also named HEXEN) in oral fluid and sweat and verifies its feasibility in determining human oral fluid concentrations and pharmacokinetics following the administration of 100 mg of 4-CMC orally and 30 mg of NEP and NEH intranasally. A total of 48 oral fluid and 12 sweat samples were collected from six consumers. After the addition of 5 μL of methylone-d3 and 200 μL of 0.5 M ammonium hydrogen carbonate, an L/L extraction was carried out using ethyl acetate. The samples, dried under a nitrogen flow, were then derivatized with pentafluoropropionic anhydride and dried again. One microliter of the sample reconstituted in 50 μL of ethyl acetate was injected into GC-MS/MS. The method was fully validated according to international guidelines. Our results showed how, in oral fluid, the two cathinones taken intranasally were absorbed very rapidly, within the first hour, when compared with the 4-CMC which reached its maximum concentration peak in the first three hours. We observed that these cathinones were excreted in sweat in an amount equivalent to approximately 0.3% of the administered dose for 4-CMC and NEP. The total NEH excreted in sweat 4 h after administration was approximately 0.2% of the administered dose. Our results provide, for the first time, preliminary information about the disposition of these synthetic cathinones in the consumers' oral fluid and sweat after controlled administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melani Nuñez-Montero
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol and Institut de Recerca Germans Trias i Pujol (HUGTiP-IGTP), 08916 Badalona, Spain
- Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallés, Spain
| | - Claudia Lombroni
- National Centre on Addiction and Doping, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
- Department of Chemistry, Univesità degli Studi di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 5, 10125 Torino, Italy
| | - Nunzia La Maida
- National Centre on Addiction and Doping, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Concetta Rotolo
- National Centre on Addiction and Doping, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Pichini
- National Centre on Addiction and Doping, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Esther Papaseit
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol and Institut de Recerca Germans Trias i Pujol (HUGTiP-IGTP), 08916 Badalona, Spain
- Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallés, Spain
| | - Olga Hladun
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol and Institut de Recerca Germans Trias i Pujol (HUGTiP-IGTP), 08916 Badalona, Spain
- Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallés, Spain
| | - Mireia Ventura
- Energy Control, Associació Benestar i Desenvolupament, 08012 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lourdes Poyatos
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol and Institut de Recerca Germans Trias i Pujol (HUGTiP-IGTP), 08916 Badalona, Spain
- Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallés, Spain
| | - Clara Pérez-Mañá
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol and Institut de Recerca Germans Trias i Pujol (HUGTiP-IGTP), 08916 Badalona, Spain
- Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallés, Spain
| | - Magí Farré
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol and Institut de Recerca Germans Trias i Pujol (HUGTiP-IGTP), 08916 Badalona, Spain
- Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallés, Spain
| | - Emilia Marchei
- National Centre on Addiction and Doping, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
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Júlio S, Ferro RA, Santos S, Alexandre A, Caldeira MJ, Franco J, Barroso M, Gaspar H. Synthesis of emerging cathinones and validation of a SPE GC-MS method for their simultaneous quantification in blood. Anal Bioanal Chem 2023; 415:571-589. [PMID: 36494605 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-022-04440-6] [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: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Over the past 15 years, synthetic cathinones have emerged as an important class of new psychoactive substances (NPS) worldwide. The proliferation of these psychostimulants and their sought-after effects among recreational drug users pose a serious threat to public health and enormous challenges to forensic laboratories. For forensic institutions, it is essential to be one step ahead of covert laboratories, foreseeing the structural changes possible to introduce in the core skeleton of cathinones while maintaining their stimulating activity. In this manner, it is feasible to equip themselves with standards of possible new cathinones and validated analytical methods for their qualitative and quantitative detection. Therefore, the aim of the work herein described was to synthesize emerging cathinones based on the evolving patterns in the illicit drug market, and to develop an analytical method for their accurate determination in forensic situations. Five so far unreported cathinones [4'-methyl-N-dimethylbuphedrone (4-MDMB), 4'-methyl-N-ethylbuphedrone (4-MNEB), 4'-methyl-N-dimethylpentedrone (4-MDMP), 4'-methyl-N-dimethylhexedrone (4-MDMH), and 4'-methyl-N-diethylbuphedrone (4-MDEB)] and a sixth one, 4'-methyl-N-ethylpentedrone, already reported to EMCDDA and also known as 4-MEAP, were synthesized and fully characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry (MS). An analytical method for the simultaneous quantification of these cathinones in blood, using solid phase extraction (SPE) combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was developed and validated. The results prove that this methodology is selective, linear, precise, and accurate. For all target cathinones, the extraction efficiency was higher than 73%, linearity was observed in the range of 10 (lower limit of quantification, LLOQ) to 800 ng/mL, with coefficients of determination higher than 0.99, and the limits of detection (LODs) were 5 ng/mL for all target cathinones. The stability of these cathinones in blood matrices is dependent on the storage conditions; 4-MNEB is the most stable compound and 4-MDMH is the least stable compound. The low limits obtained allow the detection of the compounds in situations where they are involved, even if present at low concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Júlio
- BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal.,Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade de Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-535, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Raquel A Ferro
- BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Susana Santos
- Centro de Química Estrutural, Institute of Molecular Sciences, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Andrea Alexandre
- Laboratório de Polícia Científica da Polícia Judiciária - Setor de Drogas e Toxicologia, Rua Gomes Freire, 1169-007, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Maria João Caldeira
- Laboratório de Polícia Científica da Polícia Judiciária - Setor de Drogas e Toxicologia, Rua Gomes Freire, 1169-007, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - João Franco
- Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal e Ciências Forenses, I.P. - Delegação do Sul, Serviço de Química e Toxicologia Forenses, Rua Manuel Bento de Sousa, 3, 1169-201, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Mário Barroso
- Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal e Ciências Forenses, I.P. - Delegação do Sul, Serviço de Química e Toxicologia Forenses, Rua Manuel Bento de Sousa, 3, 1169-201, Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Helena Gaspar
- BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal. .,MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Polytechnic of Leiria, 2520-630, Peniche, Portugal.
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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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Li C, Chu S, Tan S, Yin X, Jiang Y, Dai X, Gong X, Fang X, Tian D. Towards Higher Sensitivity of Mass Spectrometry: A Perspective From the Mass Analyzers. Front Chem 2021; 9:813359. [PMID: 34993180 PMCID: PMC8724130 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.813359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Mass spectrometry (MS) is one of the most widely used analytical techniques in many fields. Recent developments in chemical and biological researches have drawn much attention to the measurement of substances with low abundances in samples. Continuous efforts have been made consequently to further improve the sensitivity of MS. Modifications on the mass analyzers of mass spectrometers offer a direct, universal and practical way to obtain higher sensitivity. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in mass analyzers for the improvement of mass spectrometers' sensitivity, including quadrupole, ion trap, time-of-flight (TOF) and Fourier transform ion cyclotron (FT-ICR), as well as different combinations of these mass analyzers. The advantages and limitations of different mass analyzers and their combinations are compared and discussed. This review provides guidance to the selection of suitable mass spectrometers in chemical and biological analytical applications. It is also beneficial to the development of novel mass spectrometers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Li
- College of Instrumentation & Electrical Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Shiying Chu
- Technology Innovation Center of Mass Spectrometry for State Market Regulation, Center for Advanced Measurement Science, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing, People’s Republic ofChina
| | - Siyuan Tan
- Technology Innovation Center of Mass Spectrometry for State Market Regulation, Center for Advanced Measurement Science, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing, People’s Republic ofChina
| | - Xinchi Yin
- Technology Innovation Center of Mass Spectrometry for State Market Regulation, Center for Advanced Measurement Science, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing, People’s Republic ofChina
| | - You Jiang
- Technology Innovation Center of Mass Spectrometry for State Market Regulation, Center for Advanced Measurement Science, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing, People’s Republic ofChina
| | - Xinhua Dai
- Technology Innovation Center of Mass Spectrometry for State Market Regulation, Center for Advanced Measurement Science, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing, People’s Republic ofChina
| | - Xiaoyun Gong
- Technology Innovation Center of Mass Spectrometry for State Market Regulation, Center for Advanced Measurement Science, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing, People’s Republic ofChina
| | - Xiang Fang
- Technology Innovation Center of Mass Spectrometry for State Market Regulation, Center for Advanced Measurement Science, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing, People’s Republic ofChina
| | - Di Tian
- College of Instrumentation & Electrical Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, China
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