title: Screening of methylenedioxyamphetamine- and piperazine-derived designer drugs in urine by LC-MS/MS using neutral loss and precursor ion scan.
abstract: This study describes a method for the screening of methylenedioxyamphetamine- and piperazine-derived compounds in urine by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. These substances, characterized by possessing common moieties, are screened using precursor ion and neutral loss scan mode and then quantified in multiple reaction monitoring acquisition mode. Based on the product-ion spectra of different known molecules, chosen as 'model', characteristic neutral losses and product ions were selected: piperazines were detected in precursor ion scan of m/z 44 and neutral loss of 43 and 86 while amphetamines in precursor ion scan of m/z 133, 135 and 163. The applicability of the screening approach was studied in blank urine spiked with selected analytes and processed by solid-phase extraction. Linearity, matrix effect, precision, accuracy, limits of detection and limits of quantification were evaluated both for the screening and the quantification methods. The ability of the screening method to provide semi-quantitative data was demonstrated. This method appears to be a useful tool for the identification of designer drugs derived from piperazines or methylenedioxyamphetamines and can be potentially applied to other drug classes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Camilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Montesano
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sergi
authors.forename: Mariaelena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moro
authors.forename: Sabino
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Napoletano
authors.forename: Francesco Saverio
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Romolo
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Del Carlo
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Compagnone
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Curini
mesh_terms: D015104:3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000652:urine*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D015198:Designer Drugs / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007477:Ions / Q000737:chemistry; D057230:Limit of Detection; D010879:Piperazines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000652:urine*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D052616:Solid Phase Extraction; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D015198:Designer Drugs; D007477:Ions; D010879:Piperazines; D015104:3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine