Triple quadrupole-mass spectrometry protocols for the analysis of NBOMes and NBOHs in blotter papers

Author(s)

de Morais, Damila Rodrigues ^[1] ; da Cunha, Kelly Francisco ^[2] ; Rodrigues, Tais Betoni ^[2] ; Lanaro, Rafael ^{[2, 3]} ; Barbosa, Lilian de Melo ^[4] ; Zacca, Jorge Jardim ^[5] ; Eberlin, Marcos Nogueira ^[1] ; Costa, Jose Luiz ^{[6, 3]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Campinas, Inst Chem, ThoMSon Mass Spectrometry Lab, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Estadual Campinas, Fac Med Sci, Dept Pharmacol, BR-13083887 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Estadual Campinas, Fac Med Sci, Campinas Poison Control Ctr, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[4] Criminalist Inst, Tech Sci Police Superintendence, BR-13018170 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[5] Brazilian Fed Police, Sci & Tech Dept PF, BR-70037900 Brasilia, DF - Brazil

^[6] Univ Estadual Campinas, Fac Pharmaceut Sci, BR-13083871 Campinas, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Forensic Science International; v. 309, APR 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

NBOMe and NBOH are new psychoactive substances with potent activity on serotonin 5-HT2a receptors causing serious toxic effects, including serotonin toxidrome and death. The aim of this work was to develop a comprehensive MS/MS protocol, using triple quadrupole mass spectrometers coupled to LC and GC, for rapid screening and quantitation of NBOMes and NBOHs in seized blotter papers. Different scan methods (neutral loss, precursor ion or multiple reaction monitoring) were used to obtain structural information of phenylethylamine class. The developed protocol was validated for qualitative and quantitative analysis, showing a satisfactory limit of detection (1 ng/mL), with excellent selectivity, imprecision (intra and interday imprecision lower than 1.2 % RSD) and accuracy (between -7.1 and +5.6 %, n = 15), as well as bias values. The analysis of real samples shown that NBOH compounds were the most frequently detected, with concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 1,929 mu g per blotter sample. Triple quadrupole mass spectrometers can be a useful tool for identification of new psychoactive substances. A comprehensive protocol using both LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS, with different scanning modes, have been developed and showed to be useful to screening NBOMe and NBOH in blotter papers. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/00432-1 - The Toxicology of New Psychoactive Substances (NSP): epidemiology of consumption by the analysis of hair and oral fluid samples
• Grantee: José Luiz da Costa
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 16/23157-0 - Development of a protocol for new synthetic cannabinoids and NBOMe (2-(2,5-dimethoxy)-N-(2-methoxybenzyl)ethan-1-amine) derivatives) analysis in scan mode precursor ion and neutral loss by GC-MS / MS and LC-MS / MS
• Grantee: Damila Rodrigues de Morais
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 18/11849-0 - The toxicology of New Psychoactive Substances (NSP): epidemiology of consumption by oral fluid samples and characterization of their in vitro metabolism
• Grantee: Kelly Francisco da Cunha
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate