Rapid identification of synthetic cannabinoids in herbal samples via direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (original) (raw)
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Journal of Analytical Toxicology, 2010
A range of "Herbal High" products were tested for synthetic cannabinoids (cannabinomimetics) to qualitatively determine and compare their individual and relative content. Liquid chromatography-high resolution accurate mass spectrometry was used to rapidly screen samples for a range of cannabinomimetics using mono-isotopic masses derived from the elemental composition of target analytes. A screening database of over 140 compounds was rapidly created. This approach, combined with further tandem mass spectrometric experiments, also facilitated the detection and identification of compounds for which reference materials were not available. Previously reported cannabinomimetics, including JWH-018 and CP47,497 and its homologues, were detected in varying relative proportions along with several tentatively identified unreported cannabinomimetics. In some countries, the decision has been made to include these substances within their drug control legislation, and other countries are considering similar action. The currently applied drug screening techniques are unlikely to be effective in providing scientific evidence to support their identification in seized products. The application of high-resolution accurate mass spectrometry offers a solution. In addition, the technology provides a relatively simple and quick method for screening products, building substance databases, and even identifying novel substances using a combination of accurate mass derived elemental composition and fragment ions combined with fragmentation prediction software.
Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 2012
A rapid and simple gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method was developed and validated to identify and quantify synthetic cannabinoids in the materials seized during drug trafficking. Accuracy and reproducibility of the method were improved by using deuterated JWH-018 and JWH-073 as internal standards. Validation results of the GC-MS method showed that it was suitable for simultaneous qualitative and quantitative analyses of synthetic cannabinoids, and we analyzed synthetic cannabinoids in seized materials using the validated GC-MS method. As a result of the analysis, ten species of synthetic cannabinoids were identified in dried leaves (n040), bulk powders (n06), and tablets (n014) seized in Korea during 2009-2012, as a single ingredient or as a mixture with other active co-ingredients. JWH-018 and JWH-073 were the most frequently identified compounds in the seized materials. Synthetic cannabinoids in the dried leaves showed broad concentration ranges, which may cause unexpected toxicity to abusers. The bulk powders were considered as raw materials used to prepare legal highs, and they contained single ingredient of JWH-073, JWH-019, or JWH-250 with the purity over 70 %. In contrast, JWH-018 and JWH-073 contents in the tablets were 7.1-13.8 and 3.0-10.2 mg/g, respectively. Relatively low contents in the tablets suggest that the synthetic cannabinoids may have been added to the tablets as supplements to other active co-ingredients.
Journal of analytical toxicology, 2016
Synthetic cannabinoids emerged on the designer drug market in recent years due to their ability to produce cannabis-like effects without the risk of detection by traditional drug testing techniques such as immunoassay and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. As government agencies work to schedule existing synthetic cannabinoids, new, unregulated and structurally diverse compounds continue to be developed and sold. Synthetic cannabinoids undergo extensive metabolic conversion. Consequently, both blood and urine specimens may play an important role in the forensic analysis of synthetic cannabinoids. It has been observed that structurally similar synthetic cannabinoids follow common metabolic pathways, which often produce metabolites with similar metabolic transformations. Presented are two validated quantitative methods for extracting and identifying 15 parent synthetic cannabinoids in blood, 17 synthetic cannabinoid metabolites in urine and the qualitative identification of 2 addit...
Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, 2013
In recent years, synthetic cannabinoids have been frequently observed in seized materials all over the world. This new generation of designer drugs, mixed with herbal substances, is also known as “Herbal Highs” or “Legal Highs”. There are many articles about the history, type and pharmaco-chemical properties of synthetic cannabinoids in the literature; however the number of articles about the frequency of their detection is limited. In this study, we evaluated the type and detection frequency of synthetic cannabinoids in Istanbul and its surrounding area. The reports of the Council of Forensic Medicine-Istanbul Narcotic Department were retrospectively reviewed for the presence of synthetic cannabinoids in herbal compounds sent by the judicial authorities between August 01, 2010 and March 31, 2012. Among 1200 herbal compounds, 1179 of them (98.3%) contained synthetic cannabinoids. Twenty-one samples (1.7%) had other psychoactive substances. The analysis of 1179 samples showed that JWH-018 was present in 1172 (99.4%) of the samples. JWH-081 was found in 777 samples (65.9%) together with JWH-018. Samples had different package names. “Bonzai Aromatic Potpourri” (n=755; 64.0%) and “Bonzai Plant Growth Regulator” (n=316; 26.8%) were the most common product names amongst the herbal products in this study. It is clear from the present study and previous studies that brand name of synthetic cannabinoids that dominate the market exhibit regional differences as to the type and detection frequency of synthetic cannabinoids and the content of herbal highs packages. The number and diversity of synthetic cannabinoid compounds have increased dramatically in the drug market in recent years. New, different, potent derivatives appear on the market almost every day and this presents important problems that need to be solved by scientists and judicial authorities working to prevent their harm. These problems include the limited knowledge about their frequency, the lack of analytical data and reference standards for analysis of these new derivates, the lack of information on their toxic effects, and information about the metabolism and metabolites for toxicological analysis in human subjects.
Quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry screening for synthetic cannabinoids in herbal blends
Journal of Mass Spectrometry, 2013
'Legal highs' are novel substances which are intended to elicit a psychoactive response. They are sold from 'head shops', the internet and from street suppliers and may be possessed without legal restriction. Several months ago, a 19-year-old woman came searching for medical treatment as she had health problems caused by smoking legal highs. The substances were sold as herbal blends in plastic bags under four different labels. In this work, samples of these herbal blends have been analysed to investigate the presence of psychoactive substances without any reference standard being available at the laboratory. A screening strategy for a large number of synthetic and natural cannabinoids has been applied based on the use of ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF MS) under MS E mode. A customized home-made database containing literature-based exact masses for parent and product ions of around 200 synthetic and natural cannabinoids was compiled. The presence of the (de)protonated molecule measured at its accurate mass was evaluated in the samples. When a peak was detected, collision-induced dissociation fragments and characteristic isotopic ions were also evaluated and used for tentative identification. After this tentative identification, four synthetic cannabinoids (JWH-081, JWH-250, JWH-203 and JWH-019) were unequivocally confirmed by subsequent acquisition of reference standards. The presence in the herbal blends of these synthetic cannabinoids might explain the psychotic and catatonic symptoms observed in the patient, as JWH compounds could act as potent agonists of CB 1 and CB 2 receptors located in the Limbic System and Basal ganglia of the human brain. Copyright
Mass spectrometric characterization of cannabinoids in raw Cannabis sativa L. samples
Analytical Chemistry, 1979
Qualitative characterization of Cannabis sativa L. (marihuana) is probably one of the most common tests done in forensic laboratories. The Duquenois-Levine color test (1) is very popular and effective in most cases. Since the test does not identify the presence of specific cannabinoids, an extraction/GC/MS analysis procedure is often used (2-7) in cases where specificity or quantitative information is needed. The latter method, nevertheless, is hindered by the laborious extraction process which also requires a large quantity of sample which is often not available. This report describes a mass spectrometric method for the qualitative characterization of cannabinoids. The procedure requires only a few minutes of analysis time and a minute quantity (0.2 mg) of raw samples with minimum or no sample pretreatment. Yet, the method is so specific that no other test is needed for qualitative identification.
Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 2012
The emergence of numerous cannabinoid designer drugs has been tied to large spikes in emergency room visits and overdoses. Identifying these substances is difficult for the following reasons: (1) the compounds are novel, closely structurally related, and do not usually test positive in drug screens; (2) novel analogs rapidly appear on the market; (3) no standard protocols exist for their identification; and (4) customized and extensive sample preparation/extraction and analysis procedures are required to demonstrate their presence. METHODS: Direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS) employing collision-induced dissociation (CID) provided confirmatory structural information that was useful in characterizing the various cannabinoid analogs, including those contained in mixtures. CID analysis illustrated that, although closely related compounds fragment in a similar fashion, their structural differences still resulted in multiple diagnostic peaks that provided additional confidence towards structural identification. RESULTS: DART-MS spectra were acquired under CID conditions to rapidly differentiate among five synthetic cannabinoids contained within 'herbal' products purchased locally in New York State (USA). The spectra exhibited [M+H] + ions and product ions unique to each cannabinoid that corresponded to major structural features. Five different cannabinoid analogs, alone and as mixtures of at least two cannabinoids, were identified in six herbal products and differentiated by their CID product ion patterns. CONCLUSIONS: Illicit synthetic cannabinoid products continue to be readily available despite national and international restrictions. These products contain a wide range of active components, and, in many cases, multiple active ingredients. DART-MS allows rapid analyses of these synthetic cannabinoids based on the exact masses of their [M+H] + ions and product ion peaks generated using CID.
The emergence and analysis of synthetic cannabinoids
Drug Testing and Analysis, 2011
In late 2008, several synthetic cannabinoids were detected in herbal smoking mixtures. Typical of these products were 'Spice Gold', 'Spice Silver' and 'Yucatan Fire', but many other products have since appeared. The analytes detected, such as JWH-018 and CP47,497 are experimental compounds, some of which were never designed for human use. Both scientific and anecdotal evidence suggest that these compounds are more potent than traditional cannabis and are being widely used. As a result, authorities around the world are now beginning to control them by either naming individual compounds or using generic legislation. This, however, is easier said than done as the synthetic cannabinoids detected are constantly changing in attempts by manufacturers to evade legislation. This paper includes background information in the style of a brief monograph, as an aid to rapidly understanding the pharmacological aspects of these compounds in the forensic context, and then presents a comprehensive set of data, obtained from analysis of purchased products by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).