Three psychoactive stimulants—MDMA, amphetamine, and the new psychoactive substance mephedrone—alter blood metabolites in overlapping but distinct ways. Using plasma samples from controlled human administration studies and liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry, researchers identified changes in metabolites linked to energy metabolism, steroid biosynthesis, and amino acid pathways. Linoleic acid and pregnenolone-sulfate shifted similarly after intake of all three drugs. Mephedrone produced a metabolic profile more like amphetamine than MDMA, particularly in energy metabolism. These findings could guide future targeted studies on pharmacological actions and help identify biomarkers of drug use.
A method for measuring MDMA content in ecstasy tablets using a compact 60 MHz benchtop NMR spectrometer was validated against UNODC guidelines. The method showed good specificity, selectivity, linearity, precision, and accuracy. Among seized tablets, the lowest MDMA free base detected was 9.35 mg in a piperazine mix, and the highest was 237.55 mg. The median MDMA amount in 2022 was 9.1% lower than pre-pandemic 2019 data but still higher than the 105 mg median reported in 2018. Within-batch variation was insignificant for one seizure but greater for another, indicating a single tablet's content may not represent the whole batch. The upward dosage trend underscores the need for ongoing monitoring and prevention interventions.