Page 27 - Advances in Forensic Applications of Mass Spectrometry - Jehuda Yinon

1522_C01.fm Page 14 Tuesday, December 2, 2003 10:05 AM

Again, GC/MS procedures were described for confirmation of amphet-
amine-derived designer drugs after extraction and derivatization 2,171–175 or
SPME, 80,176 as well as for screening for and differentiation of all these
drugs. 61,94,172 The latter procedure is part of a very comprehensive screening
procedure (cf. 1.4.2.2) and the only one which also covers the new piperazine-
166
derived designer drugs N-benzylpiperazine (BZP, “A2”), N-(3,4-methyl-
enedioxybenzyl)piperazine (MDBP, MDBZP), 1-(3-trifluoromethylphe-
nyl)piperazine (TFMPP), 1-(3-chlorophenyl)piperazine (mCPP), and 1-(4-
methoxyphenyl)piperazine (MeOPP). 60
Alpha-pyrrolidinophenone derivatives like R,S-alpha-pyrrolidinopro-
piophenone (PPP), R,S-4¢-methyl-alpha-pyrrolidinopropiophenone
(MPPP), R,S-4¢-methyl-alpha-pyrrolidinohexanophenone (MPHP),
R,S-4¢-methoxy-alpha-pyrrolidinopropiophenone (MOPPP), and R,S-
3¢,4¢-methylenedioxy-alpha-pyrrolidinopropiophenone (MDPPP) are new
designer drugs which have appeared on the illicit drug market. 177–181 Mean-
while, most of these substances are scheduled in the German Controlled
Substances Act. So far, little information about the dosage as well as the
pharmacological and toxicological effects of the pyrrolidinophenones is
available. The chemical structures of all the alpha-pyrrolidinophenones are
closely related to alpha-aminopropiophenone anorectics like amfepramone,
drugs of abuse like cathinone/methcathinone, and antidepressants like
bupropion and might, therefore, evoke similar effects including dopamine-
release and sympathomimetic properties. 182–185 The metabolism and toxi-
cological detection of such designer drugs were recently studied. 178–181,186–188
Unfortunately, these drugs cannot be detected by common screening pro-
cedures due to the zwitterionic structure of their metabolites. SPE showed
good results because mixed-mode SPE has proven to be suitable for the
extraction even of their zwitterionic metabolites. Common trimethylsi-
181
lylation leads to good GC properties.

1.4.1.1.3 Hallucinogens. Cannabis (marijuana) is the most frequently
abused illegal drug around the world. Lysergide (LSD) and phencylidine are
more rarely abused, but the margin of “therapeutic” safety is smaller. Again,
immunoassays are available for these hallucinogens and confirmation by
GC/MS or LC/MS (especially for LSD 189–191 ) has been common for many
1
years ; only a few recent papers cover tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) urine
testing. For example, the need for coping with a big series of urine workplace
192
testing leads to the development of high-throughput methods. Another
new aspect concerns the differentiation of therapeutic intake of synthetic
THC (dronabinol/marinol as antiemetic under cytostatic treatment) and
cannabis abuse. 11-Nor-d -tetrahydrocannabivarin-9-carboxylic acid, the
9
urinary metabolite of the natural component of most cannabis products,

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