Determination of the metabolites of the new designer drugs bk-MBDB and bk-MDEA in human urine

Forensic Sci Int. 2009 Jul 1;188(1-3):131-9. doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2009.04.001. Epub 2009 Apr 29.

Abstract

This is the first report on identifying the specific metabolites of the new designer drugs 2-methylamino-1-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)butan-1-one (bk-MBDB) and 2-ethylamino-1-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)propan-1-one (bk-MDEA) in human urine using synthesized standards. Based on GC/MS and LC/MS, we identified N-dealkylation, demethylenation followed by O-methylation, and beta-ketone reduction as their major metabolic pathways. The quantitative analyses by LC/MS revealed that both demethylenation followed by O-methylation and beta-ketone reduction were superior to N-dealkylation and that both bk-MBDB and bk-MDEA were mainly metabolized into their corresponding 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy metabolites (4-OH-3MeO metabolites). After hydrolysis, the concentrations of 4-OH-3MeO metabolites and 3-hydroxy-4-methoxy metabolites of both bk-MBDB and bk-MDEA dramatically increased, suggesting that the metabolites mainly exist as their conjugates.

MeSH terms

  • 3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine / analogs & derivatives*
  • 3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine / urine
  • Designer Drugs / analysis
  • Forensic Toxicology
  • Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
  • Hallucinogens / urine*
  • Humans
  • Hydrolysis
  • Methylation

Substances

  • Designer Drugs
  • Hallucinogens
  • N-methyl-1-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-2-butanamine
  • 3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine
  • 2-ethylamino-1-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)propan-1-one
  • 3,4-methylenedioxyethamphetamine
  • 2-methylamino-1-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)butan-1-one