Singapore Lab Uses Clean Screen FASt to Detect ADB-4en-PINACA Metabolites in Urine
After identifying a novel psychoactive substance (NPS), additional work is needed to elucidate the metabolic pathway of the analytes. Pharmacokinetic studies are important for forensic laboratories with less sensitive instruments as metabolites are often more abundant in urine than parent compounds. This study by Fong and Moy looks to compare data from authentic urine samples to in vitro metabolic studies for synthetic cannabinoid, ADB-4en-PINACA.
From routine casework, two urine samples were positive for metabolites of ADB-4en-PINACA. Urine samples were hydrolyzed using a ß-glucuronidase enzyme for one hour at 60°C. Then an aliquot of the sample was diluted with methanol before being filtered through UCT’s Clean Screen FASt column. Samples were analyzed using a Thermo Scientific LC-Orbitrap/MS system. Retrospective data analysis was performed on these two samples to further investigate the metabolism of ADB-4en-PINACA.
This study is the first to the author’s knowledge to identify ABD-4en-PINACA metabolites in authentic urine samples. A total of ten metabolites were identified, eight of which were previously predicted as biomarkers in an in vitro study performed by Kronstrand et al. Data from Fong and Moy’s study recommends using ADB-4en-PINACA dihydrodiol, ADB-4en-PINACA monohydroxylation (indazole ring), and ADB-4en-PINACA monohydroxylation (N-pentenyl ring) as urinary biomarkers due to their abundance and uniqueness to the parent compound. However, further studies should be performed to confirm conclusions from this study due to the limited number of samples available for analysis.
Citations:
Ching Yee Fong, Hooi Yan Moy, Detection of ADB-4en-PINACA metabolite in the authentic urine samples, Emerging Trends in Drugs, Addictions, and Health, Volume 4,
2024,100146, ISSN 2667-1182, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.etdah.2024.100146. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667118224000059)
Kronstrand, R., Norman, C., Vikingsson, S., Biemans, A., Valencia Crespo, B., Edwards, D., Fletcher, D., Gilbert, N., Persson, M., Reid, R., Semenova, O., Al Teneiji, F., Wu, X., Dahlén, J., NicDaéid, N., Tarbah, F., Sutcliffe, O. B., McKenzie, C., & Gréen, H. (2022). The metabolism of the synthetic cannabinoids ADB-BUTINACA and ADB-4en-PINACA and their detection in forensic toxicology casework and infused papers seized in prisons. Drug testing and analysis, 14(4), 634–652. https://doi.org/10.1002/dta.3203