title: 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).
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Toxicology, Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Saarland, D-66421 Homburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Vilma
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Habrdova
authors.forename: Frank T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: Denis S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Theobald
authors.forename: Hans H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Maurer
mesh_terms: D015198:Designer Drugs / Q000032:analysis*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D006213:Hallucinogens / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008635:Mescaline / Q000097:blood*; D010627:Phenethylamines / Q000097:blood*; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D015198:Designer Drugs; D006213:Hallucinogens; D010627:Phenethylamines; D008635:Mescaline