title: Qualitative confirmation of 9 synthetic cannabinoids and 20 metabolites in human urine using LC-MS/MS and library search.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Synthetic cannabinoids are an emerging illicit drug class. The variety of available substances is large and ever-changing, making it difficult for laboratories to remain current. We present a qualitative LC-MS/MS method identifying urinary metabolites of JWH-018, JWH-073, JWH-081, JWH-122, JWH-200, JWH-210, JWH-250, RCS-4, and AM2201 and the parent compounds JWH-018, JWH-073, JWH-081, JWH-122, JWH-210, JWH-250, RCS-4, AM2201, and MAM2201.
  
  
  METHODS
  After enzymatic hydrolysis, urinary proteins were precipitated with acetonitrile. Chromatography utilized a 10 min gradient on a Kinetex XB-C18 column with 0.1% formic acid in water and acetonitrile. Scheduled multiple reaction monitoring "survey scans" were followed by information-dependent acquisition-enhanced product ion scan experiments on an ABSciex 5500 QTRAP mass spectrometer. Analytes were identified by software-assisted library searching against reference spectra.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The method was fully validated, including proof of selectivity (no exogenous or endogenous interferences were observed), assessment of matrix effects (95-122%) and recovery (53-95%), determination of limits of detection (0.5-10 ng/mL), carry-over studies (thresholds between 100 and 1000 ng/mL), and determination of autosampler stability (samples were stable for at least 3 days). Hydrolysis efficiency was thoroughly investigated for a wide range of glucuronides and for the reference standard, JWH-018 5-hydroxypentyl glucuronide.
authors: Chemistry and Drug Metabolism, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States.
authors: Ariane
authors: A
authors: Wohlfarth
authors: Karl B
authors: KB
authors: Scheidweiler
authors: Xiaohong
authors: X
authors: Chen
authors: Hua-fen
authors: HF
authors: Liu
authors: Marilyn A
authors: MA
authors: Huestis
mesh_terms: D002186:Cannabinoids / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine*; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine*; D057230:Limit of Detection; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000379:methods*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D002186:Cannabinoids; D013287:Illicit Drugs