Evaluation of an On-site Drug-testing Device for the Detection of Synthetic Cannabinoids in Illegal Herbal Products
YAKUGAKU ZASSHI-JOURNAL OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN
Authors: Uchiyama, Nahoko; Kikura-Hanajiri, Runi; Hakamatsuka, Takashi
Abstract
Recently, illegal herbal or liquid products containing psychoactive compounds have been a serious problem damaging human health and causing numerous traffic accidents. Reports indicate that most of those herbal products contain various types of synthetic cannabinoids. There are many on-site drug-testing devices; however, synthetic cannabinoids are not targeted compounds for suchdevices. In this study, we evaluated the on-site drug-testing device "K2/Spice Test" for the detection of 12 different types of 38 synthetic cannabinoids (including 13 naphthoylindole-type synthetic cannabinoids) and a natural cannabinoid (Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol). Although this device is primarily used for the detection of metabolites of naphthoylindole-type synthetic cannabinoids in urine samples, we applied it to detect synthetic cannabinoids in illegal herbal products for rapid screening analyses. As a result of the on-site examination of synthetic cannabinoids, 10 naphthoylindole-type synthetic cannabinoids [five narcotics (JWH-018, JWH-073, AM-2201, MAM-2201, and JWH-122); five designated substances (JWH-015, JWH-200, AM-1220, JWH-019, and JWH-020)], and two other types of synthetic cannabinoid [designated substances (a benzoylindole AM-694 and a naphthoyl-naphthalene CB-13)] showed positive results (the limit of detection ranged from 50 to 250 mu g/mL). Furthermore, MeOH extracts of illegal herbal products containing naphthoylindole-type synthetic cannabinoids also showed positive results (the limit of detection ranged from 2.5 to 10 mg herbal products/mL). Therefore, we found that this device may be useful for the on-site examination of some naphthoylindole-type synthetic cannabinoids not only in urine samples but also in illegal herbal products.
Determination of XLR-11 and its metabolites in hair by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry
JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL AND BIOMEDICAL ANALYSIS
Authors: Park, Meejung; Yeon, Seonghoon; Lee, Jaesin; In, Sangwhan
Abstract
Analysis of drugs in hair is often used as a routine method to obtain detailed information about drug ingestion. However, few studies have been conducted on disposition of synthetic cannabinoids including cyclopropylindoles (UR-144 and XLR-11) and their metabolites in hair. XLR-11 has been widely abused in South Korea recently. Identification of metabolites in hair can be an important proof of synthetic cannabinoids use because it can exclude the possibility of passive smoke exposure. In this study, we described a quantitative analytical method of XLR-11 and its metabolites (UR-144, UR-144 N-5-hydroxypentyl metabolite, UR-144 N-4-hydroxypentyl metabolite, UR-144 N-pentanoic acid metabolite and XLR-11 N-4-hydroxypentyl metabolite) in hair by liquid chromatography with ESI-MS/MS. The target analytes were extracted with methanol from washed and cut hair samples and the extracts were evaporated, filtered and analyzed by LC MS/MS with electrospray ion source in positive-ionization mode. JWH-018-d(9) and JWH-018 N-5-hydroxypentyl metabolite-d(5) were used as internal standards. Chromatographic separation was completed within 15 min. No interferences were detected in 10 blank hair samples. In intra- and inter-assay precision and accuracy study, CV (%) and bias (%) were below 12. The limit of detection (LOD) was 0.1 similar to 2 pg/mg and the limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.2-2 pg/mg, respectively. The validation results proved that the method was selective, accurate and precise with acceptable linearity within calibration range. No significant variation was observed by different sources of matrices. This method was applied to hair samples from 14 individual suspects of XLR-11 use. In this result, XLR-11, UR-144, UR-144 N-5-hydroxypentyl metabolite and UR-144 N-pentanoic acid metabolite, XLR-11 N-4-hydroxypentyl metabolite were detected. The concentration of XLR-11 as a parent drug was much higher than other metabolites. UR-144 N-5-hydroxy metabolite and UR-144 N-pentanoic acid were detected mainly in the authentic hair samples from suspected of XLR-11 use. UR-144 N-4-hydroxypentyl metabolite was not detected in all cases. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.