Salvinorin A, a potent hallucinogen from Salvia divinorum, is rapidly eliminated from the body after intravenous administration in rhesus monkeys, with an average elimination half-life of about 57 minutes. Pharmacokinetic differences in distribution half-life, elimination half-life, and area under the curve were observed between males and females, suggesting potential sex differences in the drug's effects. The presumed major metabolite, salvinorin B, was not detected in the study, though it is known to accumulate outside the body.
Salvinorin A, a hallucinogen from Salvia divinorum, may serve as a therapeutic for stimulant abuse, but no methods exist to detect it or its metabolites in biological fluids. This work describes a straightforward synthesis of a deuterium-labeled analog of salvinorin A and its use as an internal standard for detecting salvinorin A and its metabolites in biological fluids using LC-MS, providing a tool for studying its metabolism and potential therapeutic development.