Voltammetric Responses of a CYP2D6‐Based Biosensor to 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and the Synthetic Cathinone α‐pyrrolidinopentiophenone (α‐PVP).

Abstract

AbstractThe amphetamine‐type stimulants (ATS) adulteration is currently a common phenomenon that endangers the health of consumers. Among the most common adulterants are new psychoactive substances (NPS), such as synthetic cathinones. This development demands new, low‐cost, and simple detection strategies. In this work, we present, for the first time, the electrochemical detection of two NPSs, the amphetamine 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and the synthetic cathinone α‐pyrrolidinopentiophenone (α‐PVP), using an electrochemical biosensor based on cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6). This biosensor was constructed by electrochemical reduction of the 4‐nitrobenzenediazonium salt on a carbon screen‐printed electrode (C‐SPE), with subsequent reduction of the nitro group into amines, and finally covalent binding with the CYP2D6 enzyme. The biosensor voltammetric response of the molecules studied allowed reaching limits of detection (LOD) of 0.0017 and 0.0022 μg/mL, and limits of quantification (LOQ) of 0.0059 and 0.0076 μg/mL for MDMA and α‐PVP, respectively.