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Forensic Toxicology
Published in: Forensic Toxicology 2/2015

01-07-2015 | Original Article

Identification and quantification of 4′-methoxy-α-pyrrolidinobutiophenone (4-MeOPBP) in human plasma and urine using LC–TOF-MS in an autopsy case

Authors: Kaori Shintani-Ishida, Mami Nakamura, Misa Tojo, Nozomi Idota, Hiroshi Ikegaya

Published in: Forensic Toxicology | Issue 2/2015

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Abstract

We encountered an autopsy case of a 35-year-old man who drowned in a bathtub. Nine opened packages of designer drugs containing herbal blends, powders, or liquid were found at the scene, implying abuse. The plasma and urine samples of the deceased were analyzed using liquid chromatography–time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (LC–TOF-MS) with MSE. A new synthetic cathinone, 4′-methoxy-α-pyrrolidinobutiophenone (4-MeOPBP), emerged as a suspected component via elemental composition and molecular structure analyses with acquisition of full spectra of the precursor and product ions by MSE mode. The component was finally identified by comparing the mass spectra obtained from the deceased’s samples with those of the reference standard 4-MeOPBP using LC–TOF-MS and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Furthermore, 4-MeOPBP was the main component of an opened package labeled “Silver Snow”. The concentrations of 4-MeOPBP in plasma and urine samples were as high as 9.5 and 12 μg/ml, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first report disclosing 4-MeOPBP in human specimens.
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Metadata
Title
Identification and quantification of 4′-methoxy-α-pyrrolidinobutiophenone (4-MeOPBP) in human plasma and urine using LC–TOF-MS in an autopsy case
Authors
Kaori Shintani-Ishida
Mami Nakamura
Misa Tojo
Nozomi Idota
Hiroshi Ikegaya
Publication date
01-07-2015
Publisher
Springer Japan
Published in
Forensic Toxicology / Issue 2/2015
Print ISSN: 1860-8965
Electronic ISSN: 1860-8973
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11419-015-0281-x

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