Metabolism and toxicological detection of the new designer drug 4′-methoxy-α-pyrrolidinopropiophenone studied in rat urine using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

R.S-4'-Methoxy-alpha-pyrrolidinopropiophenone (MOPPP) is a new designer drug with assumed amphetamine-like effects, which has appeared on the illicit drug market. The aim of this study was to identify the MOPPP metabolites using solid-phase extraction, ethylation or acetylation as well as to develop a toxicological detection procedure in urine using solid-phase extraction, trimethylsilylation and GC-MS. Analysis of urine samples of rats treated with MOPPP revealed that MOPPP [limit of detection (S/N 3) was 100 ng/ml] was completely metabolized by demethylation of the methoxy group, hydroxylation of the pyrrolidine ring with subsequent dehydrogenation to the corresponding lactam and/or oxidative desamination to the corresponding diketo compounds. To some extent, the demethylated MOPPP metabolites were hydroxylated with partial subsequent methylation in position 3'. The hydroxy groups were found to be partly conjugated. Based on these data. MOPPP could be detected in urine via its metabolites by full-scan GC-MS using MS for screening and library search for identification by comparison of the spectra with reference spectra. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.