Screening for and validated quantification of phenethylamine‐type designer drugs and mescaline in human blood plasma by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

Abstract

In recent years, several newer designer drugs of the so‐called 2C series such as 2C‐D, 2C‐E, 2C‐P, 2C‐B, 2C‐I, 2C‐T‐2, and 2C‐T‐7 have entered the illicit drug market as recreational drugs. Some fatal intoxications involving 2C‐T‐7 have been reported. Only scarce data have been published about analyses of these substances in human blood and/or plasma. This paper describes a method for screening and simultaneous quantification of the above‐mentioned compounds and their analog mescaline in human blood plasma. The analytes were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry in the selected‐ion monitoring mode, after mixed‐mode solid‐phase extraction (HCX) and derivatization with heptafluorobutyric anhydride. The method was fully validated according to international guidelines. Validation data for 2C‐T‐2 and 2C‐T‐7 were unacceptable. For all other analytes, the method was linear from 5 to 500 µg/L and the data for accuracy (bias) and precision (coefficient of variation) were within the acceptance limits of ±15% and <15%, respectively (within ±20% and <20% near the limit of quantification of 5 µg/L). Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.