1
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Algar JL, Lawes DJ, Carroll AJ, Caldicott D, McLeod MD. Identification of three unexpected new psychoactive substances at an Australian drug checking service. Drug Test Anal 2024. [PMID: 38205685 DOI: 10.1002/dta.3637] [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: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Drug checking is a harm reduction measure that provides people with the opportunity to confirm the identity and purity of substances before consumption. The CanTEST Health and Drug Checking Service is Australia's first fixed-site drug checking service, where clients can learn about the contents of the samples they provide while receiving tailored harm reduction and health advice. Three samples were recently presented to the service with the expectation of 4-fluoromethylphenidate (4F-MPH) 1, methoxetamine (MXE) 2 and 3-methylmethcathinone (3-MMC) 3. The identity of all three samples did not meet these expectations and remained unknown on-site, as no high confidence identifications were obtained. However, further analysis by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, high resolution gas chromatography-electron ionisation-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation-mass spectrometry at the nearby Australian National University allowed for the structure elucidation of the three samples as 4-fluoro-α-pyrrolidinoisohexanophenone (4F-α-PiHP) 4, 1-(4-fluorobenzyl)-4-methylpiperazine (4F-MBZP) 5 and N-propyl-1,2-diphenylethylamine (propylphenidine) 6, respectively. Given all three samples were not of the expected identity and have not yet been described as new psychoactive substances in the literature, this study presents a full characterisation of each compound. As exemplified by this rapid identification of three unexpected new psychoactive substances, drug checking can be used as an effective method to monitor the unregulated drug market.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jess L Algar
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
- CanTEST Health and Drug Checking Service, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Douglas J Lawes
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Adam J Carroll
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - David Caldicott
- Emergency Department, Calvary Public Hospital, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
- ANU Medical School, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Malcolm D McLeod
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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2
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Abiedalla Y, Clark CR. Electron ionization fragmentation studies for a series of 4-methoxymethylene benzoate esters. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2023; 37:e9654. [PMID: 37953540 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.9654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Product ion studies and stable isotope deuterium labeling experiments provide useful data for understanding the electron ionization (EI)-mass spectroscopy (MS) fragmentation of methoxymethylene substituted benzoate esters. The methoxymethylene ether is regioisomeric with the ethoxy group and represents the two possible ether substituents of a benzene ring of C2 H5 O. Structural confirmation of these synthetic precursor materials via gas chromatography (GC)-EI-MS revealed unexpected fragment ions. The synthesis and EI-MS evaluation of some homologs and deuterated derivatives allowed for the characterization of these unique ions and their fragmentation pathways. The relative effects of the position of the oxygen of the ether side chain are the subject of this investigation. METHODS The desired compounds were prepared from 4-chloromethylbenzoyl chloride by alkoxide displacement followed by transesterifications and the deuterated analogs were prepared similarly. The compounds were separated by capillary GC and their MS fragmentation evaluated in EI, MS/MS and chemical ionization experiments. RESULTS The methoxymethylene-substituted benzoate esters yield major fragment ions from the loss of the alkyl group from the ether as well as alkoxy group loss from the ester or ether portion of the molecule. The loss of the alkyl group from the ether followed by loss of the ester alkoxy group as the corresponding alcohol yielded the unique cation at m/z 133 for all compounds. The identity of the major ions was confirmed by product ion and deuterium labeling studies and possible mechanisms of fragment ion formation are described. CONCLUSIONS The aliphatic oxygen of the alkoxymethylene group plays a much more active role in the EI-MS fragment formation profile than the direct aromatic ring linked oxygen of the ethoxy group. Thus, yielding a greater variety of characteristic fragments. The m/z 133 ion is unique to this class of compounds and does not have an equivalent pathway for the regioisomeric ethoxy series.
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Affiliation(s)
- Younis Abiedalla
- Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Harrison College of Pharmacy, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, El-Beida, Al Bayda', Libya
| | - C Randall Clark
- Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Harrison College of Pharmacy, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
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3
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Che P, Davidson JT, Kool J, Kohler I. Electron activated dissociation - a complementary fragmentation technique to collision-induced dissociation for metabolite identification of synthetic cathinone positional isomers. Anal Chim Acta 2023; 1283:341962. [PMID: 37977786 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2023.341962] [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: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Over the last decade, a remarkable number of new psychoactive substances (NPS) have emerged onto the drug market, resulting in serious threats to both public health and society. Despite their abundance and potential toxicity, there is little information available on their metabolism, a crucial piece of information for clinical and forensic purposes. NPS metabolism can be studied using in vitro models, such as liver microsomes, cytosol, hepatocytes, etc. The tentative structural elucidation of metabolites of NPS formed using in vitro models is typically carried out using liquid chromatography combined with high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS2) with collision-induced dissociation (CID) as a fragmentation method. However, the thermally-excited ions produced with CID may not be sufficient for unambiguous identification of metabolites or their complete characterization. Electron-activated dissociation (EAD), a relatively new fragmentation approach that can be used to fragment singly-charged ions, may provide complementary structural information that can be used to further improve the confidence in metabolite identification. The aim of this study was to compare CID and EAD as fragmentation methods for the characterization and identification of synthetic cathinone positional isomers and their metabolites. The in vitro metabolism of 2-methylethcathinone (2-MEC), 3-methylethcathinone (3-MEC) and 4-methylethcathinone (4-MEC) was investigated with both CID and EAD methods using LC-HRMS2. Four, seven and six metabolites were tentatively identified for the metabolism of 2-MEC, 3-MEC and 4-MEC, respectively. Here, the metabolism of 3-MEC and 2-MEC is reported for the first time. The EAD product ion mass spectra showed different fragmentation patterns compared to CID, where unique and abundant product ions were observed in EAD but not in CID. More importantly, certain EAD exclusive product ions play a significant role in structural elucidation of some metabolites. These results highlight the important role that EAD fragmentation can play in metabolite identification workflows, by providing additional fragmentation data compared with CID and, thus, enhancing the confidence in structural elucidation of drug metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Che
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Center for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - J Tyler Davidson
- Sam Houston State University, Department of Forensic Science, Huntsville, TX, USA
| | - Jeroen Kool
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Center for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Isabelle Kohler
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Center for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Co van Ledden Hulsebosch Center (CLHC), Amsterdam Center for Forensic Science and Medicine, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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4
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Mane SS, Ghaste M, Dearden DV. Mass spectrometry-based gas phase intramolecular benzyl migration in sparsentan, a novel endothelin and angiotensin II receptor antagonist. JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY : JMS 2023; 58:e4980. [PMID: 37903508 DOI: 10.1002/jms.4980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023]
Abstract
We report a collision-induced dissociation (CID) based gas phase rearrangement study using quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry coupled with liquid chromatography on a novel endothelin and angiotensin II receptor antagonist, sparsentan. We performed tandem mass spectrometry to identify precursor and fragment ion relationships and assigned structures for major fragment ions. We propose a benzyl migration mechanism based on bond length measurements in density functional theory (B3LYP/6-31+G*) optimized geometries of protonated sparsentan and its m/z 547 fragment. Protonated sparsentan undergoes loss of ethanol, which yields a resonance-stabilized benzylic cation with m/z 547, which further fragments into m/z 353 via benzyl migration, where the benzylic cation migrates to one of the nucleophilic nitrogen atoms followed by proton transfer from the sulfonamide nitrogen to a carbonyl oxygen, resulting in a neutral loss of mass 194. Further fragmentation of m/z 353 results in m/z 258, which undergoes radical and neutral loss to yield m/z 193 and 194, respectively. The proposed mechanism of generation of m/z 353 was confirmed by CID of deuterated sparsentan. Considering the importance of gas phase rearrangements of organic molecules in structural identifications as well as the novelty of the molecule, these findings will be helpful for future studies to predict gas phase benzyl migration in sparsentan analogs and for degradation product and metabolite identification of sparsentan and its analogs using LC-MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudam S Mane
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, 84602-1030, USA
| | - Manoj Ghaste
- Analytical Chemistry Department, Nelson Laboratories, 6280 S. Redwood Road, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84123, USA
| | - David V Dearden
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, 84602-1030, USA
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5
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Che P, Davidson JT, Still K, Kool J, Kohler I. In vitro metabolism of cathinone positional isomers: does sex matter? Anal Bioanal Chem 2023; 415:5403-5420. [PMID: 37452840 PMCID: PMC10444680 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-023-04815-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic cathinones, one of the most prevalent categories of new psychoactive substances, have been posing a serious threat to public health. Methylmethcathinones (MMCs), notably 3-MMC, have seen an alarming increase in their use in the last decade. The metabolism and toxicology of a large majority of synthetic cathinones, including 3-MMC and 2-MMC, remain unknown. Traditionally, male-derived liver materials have been used as in vitro metabolic incubations to investigate the metabolism of xenobiotics, including MMCs. Therefore, little is known about the metabolism in female-derived in vitro models and the potential sex-specific differences in biotransformation. In this study, the metabolism of 2-MMC, 3-MMC, and 4-MMC was investigated using female rat and human liver microsomal incubations, as well as male rat and human liver microsomal incubations. A total of 25 phase I metabolites of MMCs were detected and tentatively identified using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Seven sex-specific metabolites were detected exclusively using pooled male rat liver microsomal incubations. In addition, the metabolites generated from the sex-dependent in vitro metabolic incubations that were present in both male and female rat liver microsomal incubations showed differences in relative abundance. Yet, neither sex-specific metabolites nor significant differences in relative abundance were observed from pooled human liver microsomal incubations. This is the first study to report the phase I metabolic pathways of MMCs using in vitro metabolic incubations for both male and female liver microsomes, and the relative abundance of the metabolites observed from each sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Che
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Center for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J Tyler Davidson
- Department of Forensic Science, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX, USA
| | - Kristina Still
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Center for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Kool
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Center for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Isabelle Kohler
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Center for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Co van Ledden Hulsebosch Center (CLHC), Amsterdam Center for Forensic Science and Medicine, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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6
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van Outersterp R, Oosterhout J, Gebhardt CR, Berden G, Engelke UFH, Wevers RA, Cuyckens F, Oomens J, Martens J. Targeted Small-Molecule Identification Using Heartcutting Liquid Chromatography-Infrared Ion Spectroscopy. Anal Chem 2023; 95:3406-3413. [PMID: 36735826 PMCID: PMC9933049 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c04904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Infrared ion spectroscopy (IRIS) can be used to identify molecular structures detected in mass spectrometry (MS) experiments and has potential applications in a wide range of analytical fields. However, MS-based approaches are often combined with orthogonal separation techniques, in many cases liquid chromatography (LC). The direct coupling of LC and IRIS is challenging due to the mismatching timescales of the two technologies: an IRIS experiment typically takes several minutes, whereas an LC fraction typically elutes in several seconds. To resolve this discrepancy, we present a heartcutting LC-IRIS approach using a setup consisting of two switching valves and two sample loops as an alternative to direct online LC-IRIS coupling. We show that this automated setup enables us to record multiple IR spectra for two LC-features from a single injection without degrading the LC-separation performance. We demonstrate the setup for application in drug metabolism research by recording six m/z-selective IR spectra for two drug metabolites from a single 2 μL sample of cell incubation extract. Additionally, we measure the IR spectra of two closely eluting diastereomeric biomarkers for the inborn error of metabolism pyridoxine-dependent epilepsy (PDE-ALDH7A1), which shows that the heartcutting LC-IRIS setup has good sensitivity (requiring ∼μL injections of ∼μM samples) and that the separation between closely eluting isomers is maintained. We envision applications in a range of research fields, where the identification of molecular structures detected by LC-MS is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rianne
E. van Outersterp
- Radboud
University, Institute for Molecules and Materials, FELIX Laboratory, Toernooiveld 7, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jitse Oosterhout
- Radboud
University, Institute for Molecules and Materials, FELIX Laboratory, Toernooiveld 7, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Giel Berden
- Radboud
University, Institute for Molecules and Materials, FELIX Laboratory, Toernooiveld 7, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Udo F. H. Engelke
- Department
of Laboratory Medicine, Translational Metabolic Laboratory, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ron A. Wevers
- Department
of Laboratory Medicine, Translational Metabolic Laboratory, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Filip Cuyckens
- Drug
Metabolism & Pharmacokinetics, Janssen R&D, Beerse 2340, Belgium
| | - Jos Oomens
- Radboud
University, Institute for Molecules and Materials, FELIX Laboratory, Toernooiveld 7, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands,van’t
Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University
of Amsterdam, 1098XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jonathan Martens
- Radboud
University, Institute for Molecules and Materials, FELIX Laboratory, Toernooiveld 7, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands,
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7
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Differentiation between Isomeric 4,5-Functionalized 1,2,3-Thiadiazoles and 1,2,3-Triazoles by ESI-HRMS and IR Ion Spectroscopy. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28030977. [PMID: 36770641 PMCID: PMC9920699 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28030977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
A large variety of 1,2,3-thiadiazoles and 1,2,3-triazoles are used extensively in modern pure and applied organic chemistry as important structural blocks of numerous valuable products. Creation of new methods of synthesis of these isomeric compounds requires the development of reliable analytical tools to reveal the structural characteristics of these novel compounds, which are able to distinguish between isomers. Mass spectrometry (MS) is a clear choice for this task due to its selectivity, sensitivity, informational capacity, and reliability. Here, the application of electrospray ionization (ESI) with ion detection in positive and negative modes was demonstrated to be useful in structural studies. Additionally, interconversion of isomeric 4,5-functionalized 1,2,3-triazoles and 1,2,3-thiadiazoles was demonstrated. Application of accurate mass measurements and tandem mass spectrometry in MS2 and MS3 modes indicated the occurrence of gas-phase rearrangement of 1,2,3-triazoles into 1,2,3-thiadiazoles under (+)ESI-MS/MS conditions, independent of the nature of substituents, in line with the reaction in the condensed phase. Infrared multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD) spectroscopy enabled the establishment of structures of some of the most crucial common fragment ions, including [M+H-N2]+ and [M+H-N2-RSO2]+ species. The (-)ESI-MS/MS experiments were significantly more informative for the sulfonyl alkyl derivatives compared to the sulfonyl aryl ones. However, there was insufficient evidence to confirm the solution-phase transformation of 1,2,3-thiadiazoles into the corresponding 1,2,3-triazoles.
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8
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Pulver B, Riedel J, Westphal F, Luhn S, Schönberger T, Schäper J, Auwärter V, Luf A, Pütz M. A new synthetic cathinone: 3,4-EtPV or 3,4-Pr-PipVP? An unsuccessful attempt to circumvent the German legislation on new psychoactive substances. Drug Test Anal 2023; 15:84-96. [PMID: 36136085 DOI: 10.1002/dta.3371] [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: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic cathinones comprise psychostimulants with desired effects like euphoria, increased vigilance, appetite suppression, and-mainly depending on certain structural features-entactogenic properties. 3,4-EtPV (1-(bicyclo[4.2.0]octa-1,3,5-trien-3-yl)-2-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)pentan-1-one) was first mentioned in an online drug forum in September 2021, where its imminent synthesis was announced. The goal was to produce a legal alternative to the phenylethylamines already banned by the German NpSG. In February and June 2022, two samples labeled with the name and molecular structure of 3,4-EtPV were analyzed. The molecular structure of the obviously mislabeled compound was elucidated and comprehensively characterized within the ADEBAR project. The synthetic cathinone identified differed from the declared 3,4-EtPV by a 3,4-propylene bridge instead of a 3,4-ethylene bridge and a piperidine ring instead of a pyrrolidine ring. The short name 3,4-Pr-PipVP (3,4-propylene-2-(1-piperidinyl)valerophenone) was suggested as a semisystematic name in collaboration with the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. Herein, the results of the analyses are discussed and will enable forensic laboratories to update their databases quickly and identify 3,4-Pr-PipVP confidently. 3,4-Pr-PipVP is already scheduled under the German NpSG. This study highlights that there are ongoing efforts to deliberately circumvent generic definitions given, for example, in the German NpSG and that (unintentional?) mislabeling can be an issue. The end user purchasing substances online can never be sure that the material actually supplied will be the one ordered, and he might receive an illicit drug instead of an uncontrolled one. Furthermore, the purity is always unknown, creating health risks due to unexpected effects and potencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedikt Pulver
- State Bureau of Criminal Investigation Schleswig-Holstein, Forensic Science Institute, Kiel, Germany.,Institute of Forensic Medicine, Forensic Toxicology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Hermann Staudinger Graduate School, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jan Riedel
- Federal Criminal Police Office, Forensic Science Institute, Wiesbaden, Germany
| | - Folker Westphal
- State Bureau of Criminal Investigation Schleswig-Holstein, Forensic Science Institute, Kiel, Germany
| | - Steven Luhn
- Federal Criminal Police Office, Forensic Science Institute, Wiesbaden, Germany
| | - Torsten Schönberger
- Federal Criminal Police Office, Forensic Science Institute, Wiesbaden, Germany
| | - Jan Schäper
- Bavarian State Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Munich, Germany
| | - Volker Auwärter
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Forensic Toxicology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Anton Luf
- Clinical Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Pütz
- Federal Criminal Police Office, Forensic Science Institute, Wiesbaden, Germany
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9
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Sharp J, Do D, Tyler Davidson J. Assessment of the similarity between in-source collision-induced dissociation (IS-CID) fragment ion spectra and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) product ion spectra for seized drug identifications. Forensic Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.forc.2022.100441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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10
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West H, Fitzgerald JL, Hopkins KL, Leeming MG, DiRago M, Gerostamoulos D, Clark N, Dietze P, White JM, Ziogas J, Reid GE. Trace Residue Identification, Characterization and Longitudinal Monitoring of the Novel Synthetic Opioid β-U10, from Discarded Drug Paraphernalia. Drug Test Anal 2022; 14:1576-1586. [PMID: 35562123 PMCID: PMC9542064 DOI: 10.1002/dta.3284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Empirical data regarding dynamic alterations in illicit drug supply markets in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the potential for introduction of novel drug substances and/or increased poly-drug combination use at the 'street' level, i.e., directly proximal to the point of consumption, is currently lacking. Here, a high-throughput strategy employing ambient ionization-mass spectrometry is described for the trace residue identification, characterization and longitudinal monitoring of illicit drug substances found within >6,600 discarded drug paraphernalia (DDP) samples collected during a pilot study of an early warning system for illicit drug use in Melbourne, Australia from August 2020-February 2021, while significant COVID-19 lockdown conditions were imposed. The utility of this approach is demonstrated for the de novo identification and structural characterization of β-U10, a previously unreported naphthamide analogue within the 'U-series' of synthetic opioid drugs, including differentiation from its α-U10 isomer without need for sample preparation or chromatographic separation prior to analysis. Notably, β-U10 was observed with 23 other drug substances, most commonly in temporally distinct clusters with heroin, etizolam and diphenhydramine, and in a total of 182 different poly-drug combinations. Longitudinal monitoring of the number and weekly 'average signal intensity' (ASI) values of identified substances, developed here as a semi-quantitative proxy indicator of changes in availability, relative purity and compositions of street level drug samples, revealed that increases in the number of identifications and ASI for β-U10 and etizolam coincided with a 50% decrease in the number of positive detections and an order of magnitude decrease in the ASI for heroin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry West
- School of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - John L Fitzgerald
- School of Social and Political Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Katherine L Hopkins
- School of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.,School of Social and Political Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael G Leeming
- Melbourne Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Matthew DiRago
- Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, Southbank, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Dimitri Gerostamoulos
- Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, Southbank, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nicolas Clark
- North Richmond Community Health, Richmond, Victoria, Australia.,Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paul Dietze
- National Drug Research Institute and enAble Institute, Curtin University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Disease Elimination Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jonathan M White
- School of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - James Ziogas
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Gavin E Reid
- School of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.,Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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11
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van Outersterp RE, Martens J, Peremans A, Lamard L, Cuyckens F, Oomens J, Berden G. Evaluation of table-top lasers for routine infrared ion spectroscopy in the analytical laboratory. Analyst 2021; 146:7218-7229. [PMID: 34724520 PMCID: PMC8607882 DOI: 10.1039/d1an01406d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Infrared ion spectroscopy is increasingly recognized as a method to identify mass spectrometry-detected analytes in many (bio)chemical areas and its integration in analytical laboratories is now on the horizon. Commercially available quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometers are attractive ion spectroscopy platforms but operate at relatively high pressures. This promotes collisional deactivation which directly interferes with the multiple-photon excitation process required for ion spectroscopy. To overcome this, infrared lasers having a high instantaneous power are required and therefore a majority of analytical studies have been performed at infrared free electron laser facilities. Proliferation of the technique to routine use in analytical laboratories requires table-top infrared lasers and optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) are the most suitable candidates, offering both relatively high intensities and reasonable spectral tuning ranges. Here, we explore the potential of a range of commercially available high-power OPOs for ion spectroscopy, comparing systems with repetition rates of 10 Hz, 20 kHz, 80 MHz and a continuous-wave (cw) system. We compare the performance for various molecular ions and show that the kHz and MHz repetition-rate systems outperform cw and 10 Hz systems in photodissociation efficiency and offer several advantages in terms of cost-effectiveness and practical implementation in an analytical laboratory not specialized in laser spectroscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rianne E van Outersterp
- Radboud University, Institute for Molecules and Materials, FELIX Laboratory, Toernooiveld 7, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Jonathan Martens
- Radboud University, Institute for Molecules and Materials, FELIX Laboratory, Toernooiveld 7, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - André Peremans
- Laboratoire Physique de la Matière et du Rayonnement (P.M.R), Université de Namur, 5000 Namur, Belgium
| | | | - Filip Cuyckens
- Drug Metabolism & Pharmacokinetics, Janssen R&D, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Jos Oomens
- Radboud University, Institute for Molecules and Materials, FELIX Laboratory, Toernooiveld 7, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94157, 1090 GD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Giel Berden
- Radboud University, Institute for Molecules and Materials, FELIX Laboratory, Toernooiveld 7, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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12
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Zhao Y, Wu B, Hua Z, Xu P, Xu H, Shen W, DI B, Wang Y, Su M. Quantification of Cathinone Analogues without Reference Standard Using 1H Quantitative NMR. ANAL SCI 2021; 37:1577-1582. [PMID: 33994416 DOI: 10.2116/analsci.21p048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Synthetic cathinones are a type of new psychoactive substances (NPS) that have been seriously abused. Owing to the rapid variation in their structures, the absence of reference standards poses a challenge in quantitative investigations. In this study, a 1H quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance (1H qNMR) method was established using maleic acid as the internal standard and the shared signal (i.e., the methylidyne hydrogen) on the parent synthetic cathinones structure as the quantitative peak. Taking 3-methoxy-2-(methylamino)-1-(4-methylphenyl)propan-1-one (mexedrone) as an example, this study optimized the acquisition parameters and conducted method validation, including an evaluation of the specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision, and robustness. Using this 1H qNMR method, the contents of mexedrone and its analogues, including 1-(3-chlorophenyl)-2-(ethylamino)-propan-1-one (3-CEC), 4-chloro-α-pyrroli-dinopropiophenone (4-Cl-α-PVP), 1-(3,4-methylenedioxy-phenyl)-2-propylamino-propan-1-one (propylone), and methcathinone, were obtained. The obtained results showed that the method was accurate, rapid, versatile, and can be used to address the qualitative and quantitative issues related to similar substances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxin Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University.,China Pharmaceutical University Joint Laboratory on Key Technologies of Narcotics Control, China National Narcotics Control Commission
| | - Bo Wu
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University.,The Narcotic Control Division, Nanjing Municipal Public Security Bureau
| | - Zhendong Hua
- China Pharmaceutical University Joint Laboratory on Key Technologies of Narcotics Control, China National Narcotics Control Commission.,Key Laboratory of Drug Monitoring and Control, Drug Intelligence and Forensic Center, Ministry of Public Security
| | - Peng Xu
- China Pharmaceutical University Joint Laboratory on Key Technologies of Narcotics Control, China National Narcotics Control Commission.,Key Laboratory of Drug Monitoring and Control, Drug Intelligence and Forensic Center, Ministry of Public Security
| | - Hui Xu
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University.,China Pharmaceutical University Joint Laboratory on Key Technologies of Narcotics Control, China National Narcotics Control Commission
| | - Wenbin Shen
- Center for Instrumental Analysis, China Pharmaceutical University
| | - Bin DI
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University.,China Pharmaceutical University Joint Laboratory on Key Technologies of Narcotics Control, China National Narcotics Control Commission
| | - Youmei Wang
- China Pharmaceutical University Joint Laboratory on Key Technologies of Narcotics Control, China National Narcotics Control Commission.,Key Laboratory of Drug Monitoring and Control, Drug Intelligence and Forensic Center, Ministry of Public Security
| | - Mengxiang Su
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University.,China Pharmaceutical University Joint Laboratory on Key Technologies of Narcotics Control, China National Narcotics Control Commission
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13
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Xi P, Cao W, Li L, Shi W, Li F, Xu H, Xu X, Ke Y, Zhang J. Identification of related impurities in an oral pharmaceutical formulation of tebipenem pivoxil using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2021; 35:e9129. [PMID: 34097785 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.9129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Tebipenem pivoxil (TBPM-PI) has been developed as the first oral carbapenem drug in the world to treat otolaryngological and respiratory infections in pediatric patients. Due to its structural properties and external factors, some related impurities, which may cause side effects in patients, might be formed during the synthesis and storage of TBPM-PI. It was vital to rapidly separate and identify the related impurities to guarantee the safe use of TBPM-PI. METHODS A method using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (QTOF-MS/MS) was developed to separate and detect TBPM-PI and related impurities in an oral pharmaceutical formulation. LC/MS and MS/MS spectra of these compounds in the formulation were acquired to confirm their elemental compositions and propose their structures based on LC/MS data and fragmentation pathways of available reference substances. RESULTS LC/MS parameters and MS/MS fragmentation pathways of reference substances of TBPM-PI and related impurities were summarized in detail. Based on this, a total of 23 related impurities were found and characterized in the oral pharmaceutical formulation. Eight of these were verified by comparison with reference substances and the structures of the other 15 were proposed for the first time. In addition, four of these compounds were produced by the reaction of excipients and pre-existing related impurities. CONCLUSIONS A UHPLC/QTOF-MS method was established and used for the separation and identification of 23 related impurities in a TBPM-PI oral pharmaceutical formulation. Moreover, it was proved that new related impurities could be produced by the reaction of excipients in the pharmaceutical formulation and related impurities in the corresponding active pharmaceutical ingredient (API).
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengxuan Xi
- Green Catalysis Center, College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, 100 Science Road, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Wanxue Cao
- Green Catalysis Center, College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, 100 Science Road, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Li Li
- Green Catalysis Center, College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, 100 Science Road, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Weimin Shi
- Green Catalysis Center, College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, 100 Science Road, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Fuxin Li
- Jiyuan Branch, Henan Tobacco Corporation, 38 Huanghe Road, Jiyuan, 459000, China
| | - Haitao Xu
- Zhengzhou Mingze Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd., 369 Xisihuan Road, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Xiaojie Xu
- Zhengzhou Mingze Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd., 369 Xisihuan Road, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Yu Ke
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Science Road, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Jianye Zhang
- Green Catalysis Center, College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, 100 Science Road, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
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14
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Davidson JT, Sasiene ZJ, Jackson GP. Comparison of in-source collision-induced dissociation and beam-type collision-induced dissociation of emerging synthetic drugs using a high-resolution quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer. JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY : JMS 2021; 56:e4679. [PMID: 33410270 DOI: 10.1002/jms.4679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In-source collision-induced dissociation (CID) is commonly used with single-stage high-resolution mass spectrometers to gather both a molecular formula and structural information through the collisional activation of analytes with residual background gas in the source region of the mass spectrometer. However, unlike tandem mass spectrometry, in-source CID does not involve an isolation step prior to collisional activation leading to a product ion spectrum composed of fragment ions from any analyte present during the activation event. This work provides the first comparison of in-source CID and beam-type CID spectra of emerging synthetic drugs on the same instrument to understand the fragmentation differences between the two techniques and to contribute to the scientific foundations of in-source CID. Electrospray ionization-quadrupole time-of-flight (ESI-Q-TOF) mass spectrometry was used to generate product ion spectra from in-source CID and beam-type CID for a series of well-characterized fentanyl analogs and synthetic cathinones. A comparison between the fragmentation patterns and relative ion abundances for each technique was performed over a range of fragmentor offset voltages for in-source CID and a range of collision energies for beam-type CID. The results indicate that large fragmentor potentials for in-source CID tend to favor higher energy fragmentation pathways that result in both kinetically favored pathways and consecutive neutral losses, both of which produce more abundant lower mass product ions relative to beam-type CID. Although conditions can be found in which in-source CID and beam-type CID provide similar overall spectra, the in-source CID spectra tend to contain elevated noise and additional chemical background peaks relative to beam-type CID.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Tyler Davidson
- Department of Forensic and Investigative Science, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
- Department of Forensic Science, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas, USA
| | - Zachary J Sasiene
- C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - Glen P Jackson
- Department of Forensic and Investigative Science, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
- C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
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15
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van Geenen FAMG, Kranenburg RF, van Asten AC, Martens J, Oomens J, Berden G. Isomer-Specific Two-Color Double-Resonance IR 2MS 3 Ion Spectroscopy Using a Single Laser: Application in the Identification of Novel Psychoactive Substances. Anal Chem 2021; 93:2687-2693. [PMID: 33470107 PMCID: PMC7859929 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c05042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
![]()
The capability of
an ion trap mass
spectrometer to store ions for
an arbitrary amount of time allows the use of a single infrared (IR)
laser to perform two-color double resonance IR–IR spectroscopic
experiments on mass-to-charge (m/z) selected ions. In this single-laser IR2MS3 scheme, one IR laser frequency is used to remove a selected set
of isomers from the total trapped ion population and the second IR
laser frequency, from the same laser, is used to record the IR spectrum
of the remaining precursor ions. This yields isomer-specific vibrational
spectra of the m/z-selected ions,
which can reveal the structure and identity of the initially co-isolated
isomeric species. The use of a single laser greatly reduces the experimental
complexity of two-color IR2MS3 and enhances
its application in fields employing analytical MS. In this work, we
demonstrate the methodology by acquiring single-laser IR2MS3 spectra in a forensic context, identifying two previously
unidentified isomeric novel psychoactive substances (NPS) from a sample
that was confiscated by the Amsterdam Police.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fred A M G van Geenen
- FELIX Laboratory, Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Toernooiveld 7, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ruben F Kranenburg
- Forensic Laboratory, Unit Amsterdam, Dutch National Police, Kabelweg 25, 1014 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Van't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94157, 1090 GD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Arian C van Asten
- Van't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94157, 1090 GD Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Co van Ledden Hulsebosch Center (CLHC), Amsterdam Center for Forensic Science and Medicine, P.O. Box 94157, 1090 GD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jonathan Martens
- FELIX Laboratory, Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Toernooiveld 7, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jos Oomens
- FELIX Laboratory, Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Toernooiveld 7, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Van't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94157, 1090 GD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Giel Berden
- FELIX Laboratory, Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Toernooiveld 7, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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