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Detection and quantification of synthetic cathinones and selected piperazines in hair by LC-MS/MS

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Abstract

New psychoactive substances (NPS)—such as synthetic cathinones and piperazines—are defined as substances designed to replicate the effects of traditional illegal drugs, including cocaine, ecstasy and amphetamines. These substances are known to potentially be much more potent than their analogs. In the past, there were many poisonings and deaths associated with NPS. Because of this, NPS identification and quantification have become more important in forensic toxicology. The present work aimed to develop, validate and apply a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method capable of detecting 35 synthetic cathinones and piperazines in hair samples. All target analytes were resolved in a 12 min run time and identified based on the quantifier ion, at least one product ion and the retention time. Depending on the analyte, the calibration curves were linear over a maximal range of 0.01–3 ng/mg. The limits of detection and quantification were within the ranges of 0.006–0.052 ng/mg and 0.008–0.095 ng/mg, respectively. The precision, bias and matrix effect were all within acceptable GTFCh thresholds and the method was free from interferences. The validated method was successfully used to identify synthetic cathinones and piperazines in authentic hair samples (n = 40) from forensic cases, demonstrating its suitability for the screening and quantification of a wide number of new stimulants in hair specimens.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Mrs. Charlott Gustloff for her practical support in the laboratory during method validation. Furthermore, we would like to thank Mr. Stefan Scholtis from the Governmental Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences for the provision of some NPS positive hair samples. We also thank the German Federation against Alcohol and Drugs in Road Traffic (B.A.D.S.; Bund gegen Alkohol und Drogen im Straßenverkehr e.V.) for their independent financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Turmstraße 21 Haus N, 10559, Berlin, Germany

    André Niebel, Franziska Krumbiegel, Sven Hartwig & Michael Tsokos

  2. Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 2+4, 14195, Berlin, Germany

    André Niebel & Maria Kristina Parr

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  1. André Niebel
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Correspondence to André Niebel.

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Niebel, A., Krumbiegel, F., Hartwig, S. et al. Detection and quantification of synthetic cathinones and selected piperazines in hair by LC-MS/MS. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 16, 32–42 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-019-00209-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-019-00209-z

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