Quantitative analysis of 3,4-dimethylmethcathinone in blood and urine by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry in a fatal case

• Published in: Legal medicine (Tokyo, Japan) Vol. 16; no. 4; pp. 222 - 226
• Main Authors: Usui, Kiyotaka, Aramaki, Tomomi, Hashiyada, Masaki, Hayashizaki, Yoshie, Funayama, Masato
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.07.2014
• Subjects: 3,4-Dimethylmethcathinone; Adult; Alkaloids - analysis; Alkaloids - poisoning; Blood Chemical Analysis - methods; Cause of Death; Central Nervous System Stimulants - analysis; Central Nervous System Stimulants - poisoning; Chromatography, Liquid - methods; Designer drugs; Designer Drugs - analysis; Designer Drugs - poisoning; Drug Overdose - blood; Drug Overdose - urine; Drugs of abuse; Forensic Toxicology - methods; Humans; Internal Medicine; LC–MS/MS; Male; Propiophenones - analysis; Propiophenones - poisoning; QuEChERS; Substance Abuse Detection - methods; Synthetic cathinones; Tandem Mass Spectrometry - methods; Urinalysis - methods; Synthetic cathinones; Drugs of abuse; LC–MS/MS; 3,4-Dimethylmethcathinone; Designer drugs; QuEChERS
• ISSN: 1344-6223; 1873-4162
• DOI: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2014.03.008

Highlights • We developed an analytical method for 3,4-dimethylmethcathinone (3,4-DMMC) in biological samples and applied it to a case. • Sample extraction was performed with a modified QuEChERS method, and the extracts were analyzed with LC–MS/MS. • 3,4-DMMC was detected in both blood and urine at high levels and a number of metabolites were also detected.