Potential of high-resolution mass spectrometry for the detection of drugs and metabolites in hair: methoxetamine in a real forensic case

Abstract

The analysis of drugs of abuse in hair and other biological matrices of forensic interest requires great selectivity and sensitivity. This is done traditionally through target analysis, with one or more analytical methods, or with different and specific preanalytical phases, and complex procedures performed by the toxicological laboratories, and there is no exception with ketamine-like compounds, such as methoxetamine, a new psychoactive substance whose use has increased in the last decades, and continues to grow quickly year by year. More validated methods of analysis are needed to detect these substances in low concentrations selectively. Reanalyzing the samples of a former case of a polydrug consumer accused of a crime against public health in Spain, five metabolites of methoxetamine (normethoxetamine, O-desmethylmethoxetamine, dehydromethoxetamine, dihydronormethoxetamine and hydroxynormethoxetamine) were tentatively detected using a high-resolution technique, i.e., liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC&-HR-MS-MS). The highest analytical selectivity of LC&-HR-MS-MS method together a universal and simpler pretreatment stages has demonstrated to allow faster analysis and more sensitivity than the one performed traditionally at the INTCF laboratories, which was gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry.