Screening for and validated quantification of phenethylamine‐type designer drugs and mescaline in human blood plasma by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

Abstract

In recent years, several newer designer drugs of the so-called 2C series such as 2C-D, 2C-E, 2C-P, 2C-B, 2C-I, 2C-T-2, and 2C-T-7 have entered the illicit drug market as recreational drugs. Some fatal intoxications involving 2C-T-7 have been reported. Only scarce data have been published about analyses of these substances in human blood and/or plasma. This paper describes a method for screening and simultaneous quantification of the above-mentioned compounds and their analog mescaline in human blood plasma. The analytes were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry in the selected-ion monitoring mode, after mixed-mode solid-phase extraction (HCX) and derivatization with heptafluorobutyric anhydride. The method was fully validated according to international guidelines. Validation data for 2C-T-2 and 2C-T-7 were unacceptable. For all other analytes, the method was linear from 5 to 500 microg/L and the data for accuracy (bias) and precision (coefficient of variation) were within the acceptance limits of +/-15% and <15%, respectively (within +/-20% and <20% near the limit of quantification of 5 microg/L).

New designer drug 4‐iodo‐2,5‐dimethoxy‐β‐phenethylamine (2C‐I): studies on its metabolism and toxicological detection in rat urine using gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric and capillary electrophoretic/mass spectrometric techniques

“…30 -44 Screening for and validated quantification of 2C-I and others of the group in human blood plasma have recently been published using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). 45 However, comprehensive screening for detection of thousands of drugs, poisons and/or their metabolites is performed in urine. 46 For developing such procedures, the analytical data of the metabolites of the compounds in question must be known, because they are the target analytes, if excreted in urine primarily or even exclusively.…”

Identification of Designer Drug 2C-E (4-Ethyl-2, 5-Dimethoxyphenethylamine) in Urine Following a Drug Overdose

“…Many diff erent techniques have been developed to screen for these newer designer drugs, including capillary electrophoresismass spectrometry (9)(10)(11)(12), capillary electrophoresis coupled with a diode array detector (13), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (14,15), and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) (16). In more recent years, LC-MS in tandem (LC-MS/MS) has become the detection test of choice due to its ability to separate and identify small molecules with similar structures in one run (17).…”

Designer drugs: aspectos analíticos e biológicos

“…Para algumas 2Cs estão disponíveis métodos para screening e para quantificação em amostras de plasma e urina, [43][44][45] sendo que as técnicas analíticas empregadas são CG/EM, cromatografia gasosa com detector de nitrogênio e fósforo (CG/ DNF) 46 e eletroforese capilar acoplada à espectrometria de massas (EC/EM). 47,48 Por outro lado, em 2004, foi apresentado um método utilizando a CG/EM para a detecção de compostos 2C na urina. No entanto, para a análise toxicológica, principalmente na urina, é importante conhecer previamente as reações de biotransformação dos compostos, especialmente se eles são excretados inalterados ou na forma de metabólitos.…”

“…2,80,81 Além disto, a maioria dos testes rápidos para detecção de designer drugs, que são testes inespecíficos, é baseada em princípios imunológicos, podendo apresentar resultados falsos positivos ou falsos negativos. 13,35,47,[82][83][84] Em 2004, 85 foi avaliada a interferência de determinadas substâncias estruturalmente semelhantes com alguma designer drug.…”