Abstract
The use of the new psychoactive substances is continuously growing and the implementation of accurate and sensible analysis in biological matrices of users is relevant and fundamental for clinical and forensic purposes. Two different analytical technologies, high-sensitivity gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) were used for a screening analysis of classic drugs and new psychoactive substances and their metabolites in urine of formed heroin addicts under methadone maintenance therapy. Sample preparation involved a liquid-liquid extraction. The UHPLC-HRMS method included Accucore™ phenyl Hexyl (100 × 2.1 mm, 2.6 μm, Thermo, USA) column with a gradient mobile phase consisting of mobile phase A (ammonium formate 2 mM in water, 0.1% formic acid) and mobile phase B (ammonium formate 2 mM in methanol/acetonitrile 50:50 (v/v), 0.1% formic acid) and a full-scan data-dependent MS2 (ddMS2) mode for substances identification (mass range 100–1000 m/z). The GC-MS method employed an ultra-Inert Intuvo GC column (HP-5MS UI, 30 m, 250 µm i.d, film thickness 0.25 µm; Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, USA) and electron-impact (EI) mass spectra were recorded in total ion monitoring mode (scan range 40–550 m/z). Urine samples from 296 patients with a history of opioid use disorder were examined. Around 80 different psychoactive substances and/or metabolites were identified, being methadone and metabolites the most prevalent ones. The possibility to screen for a huge number of psychotropic substances can be useful in suspected drug related fatalities or acute intoxication/exposure occurring in emergency departments and drug addiction services.
Highlights
A new psychoactive substance (NPS) is defined as “a new narcotic or psychotropic drug, in pure form or in preparation, that is not controlled by the United Nations drug conventions, but which may pose a public health threat comparable to that posed by substances listed in these conventions” [1]
gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and UHPLC-High-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) was applied for the identification of classic drugs of abuse, new psychoactive substances and metabolites in urine of drug addicts
Even if the total analysis time was not short the combined use of two instruments allowed to screen with a high percentage of compounds matched several different substances
Summary
A new psychoactive substance (NPS) is defined as “a new narcotic or psychotropic drug, in pure form or in preparation, that is not controlled by the United Nations drug 4.0/).conventions, but which may pose a public health threat comparable to that posed by substances listed in these conventions” [1].In Europe, seizures of NPS mainly concern synthetic cannabinoids which together with synthetic cathinones account for more than 70% of NPS seizures [2]. A new psychoactive substance (NPS) is defined as “a new narcotic or psychotropic drug, in pure form or in preparation, that is not controlled by the United Nations drug 4.0/). The more recent and most toxic NPS showed to be the novel synthetic opioids (NSOs). Since 2009, 57 new NSOs have been detected on Europe’s drug market [2]. Several NSOs were originally synthesized by pharmaceutical companies in their research for analgesic drugs as compounds with a similar chemical structure to natural opiates without addictive properties, but their toxicity or abuse potential posed a very high risk of poisoning to consumers. Whereas some of them were marketed as prescription drugs, some others were eliminated from the licit market and some others were chemically modified to exclusively enter illicit market [3,4,5]
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