Twelve 2C-X, six DOX, and fourteen 25X-NBOMe hallucinogenic phenethylamines, including two deuterated derivatives, were analyzed using UPLC-QTOF-MS with collision-induced dissociation at 10, 20, and 40 eV. Common neutral and radical losses (e.g., NH3, •CH6N, C2H7N, C2H9N) and characteristic product ions were identified for each class. Novel analogues can be detected by applying neutral loss filters and extracting these common product ions, enabling detection of rapidly changing new psychoactive substances without targeted screening.
Mescaline is concentrated in the epidermal tissues and the meristematic tissues of the crown of Lophophora williamsii (peyote), as shown by a validated MALDI mass spectrometry imaging method. Low-temperature storage at -80°C, drying of flower samples, and cutting 40 μm thick sections at -20°C using gelatin as embedding medium are appropriate preparation conditions. Using DCTB as an auxiliary matrix and a laser intensity of 45 are favorable parameters for mescaline analysis. These findings provide a basis for determining the best sampling locations for mescaline in peyote and offer a reference for optimizing storage and preparation conditions for raw plant organs before MALDI detection.