Application of hair analysis to document illegal 5-methoxy-N,N-dissopropyltrptamine (5-MeO-DiPT) use.
Roujia Wang, Ping Xiang, Zhiguo Yu, Yan Shi
Forensic science international November 1, 2019 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2019.109972 via PubMed
Summary
A new method using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) was developed to measure the designer hallucinogen 5-MeO-DiPT in human hair. The method was validated and applied to 106 real cases of suspected users, finding hair concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 7532.5 pg/mg. The technique provides a way to document illegal use of this synthetic tryptamine derivative.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Method validation and case series Qualitative Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 106 |
| Population | Suspected users of 5-MeO-DiPT |
| Keywords | 5-MEO-Dipt Hair analysis Uhplc-ms/ms |
| Key finding | The validated UHPLC-MS/MS method successfully quantified 5-MeO-DiPT in human hair from 106 real cases, with concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 7532.5 pg/mg. |
Abstract
5-Methoxy-N,N-diisopropyltryptamine (5-MeO-DiPT) is a designer hallucinogen that is a synthetic tryptamine derivative. It is highly abused and is involved in criminal activities because of its psychotropic properties. Herein, we presented an UHPLC-MS/MS method allowing for the qualitative and quantitative determination of 5-MeO-DiPT in human hair. The hair was first decontaminated and then cut into pieces. Thirty milligrams of hair samples was pulverized below 4°C in the presence of 0.5mL deionized water containing 0.1% formic acid. After centrifuging twice, 5μL of supernatant was injected into the LC-MS/MS system. A T3 column (100mm×2.1mm, 1.8μm) was used, and mobile phases consisted of 20mmol/L ammonium acetate, 5% acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid in water (solvent A) and acetonitrile (solvent B). The gradient elution was used at a flow rate of 0.3mL/min. The resulting calibration curve for 5-MeO-DiPT was y=281.50213x+0.00231 (R2=0.992), the limit of detection (LOD) was 0.05pg/mg, and the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 0.1pg/mg. The accuracy was between 92.1% and 105.6%, and the intra- and interday precision, recovery and matrix effect were acceptable. The validated method was successfully used in 106 real cases, and the concentration of 5-MeO-DiPT in hair samples of these suspected users was 0.2-7532.5pg/mg. These cases present data to document illegal 5-MeO-DiPT use.