Analysis of N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and its metabolites using LC-MS/MS for forensic purposes.
Journal of forensic sciences May 1, 2025 Munchelou M Gomonit, Madeleine J Swortwood, Michael T Truver et al. 3 citations
Ayahuasca's primary psychedelic alkaloid, N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), is rapidly metabolized: oxidative deamination yields indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) as the main metabolite, and N-oxidation produces N,N-dimethyltryptamine-N-oxide (DMT-NO) as the second most abundant. A validated LC-MS/MS method quantified DMT, IAA, and DMT-NO in human plasma and DMT and DMT-NO in urine with high recovery (≥91%), low bias (±17.5%), and good precision (≤6.4%). In a proof-of-concept study using paired blood and urine samples, DMT and DMT-NO concentrations were higher in urine than plasma, reflecting rapid clearance. DMT and DMT-NO are proposed as direct biomarkers for exogenous DMT consumption; IAA should not be the sole biomarker due to its substantial endogenous presence.