Detection of buphedrone in biological and non-biological material--two case reports

Buphedrone (2-(methylamino)-1-phenylbutan-1-one, α-methylamino-butyrophenone, MABP) is a positional isomer of mephedrone. In Poland, it was marketed in the second half of 2010 after the banning of mephedrone. Buphedrone is a stimulant that is snorted, smoked or taken orally. This substance was identified in 15 products seized by law enforcement after August 2010 and analysed in the Institute of Forensic Research (IFR). Buphedrone was the sole psychoactive substance in only 5 products. It was mixed mainly with 4-MEC and MDPV. This paper presents two cases in which both biological and non-biological materials were delivered to the IFR for toxicological analysis. In the first case, a passenger car crashed into a truck. The car driver suffered severe injuries resulting in his death. During external inspection of the deceased the police discovered several packages containing a white powder. In the second case, a man was arrested for possession of illicit drugs. Analysis of powders was carried out using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-pressure liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). The purity of buphedrone found in powder samples was in the range of 58-68%. Analyses of blood were carried out using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Buphedrone was found in the blood of the deceased at a concentration of 127 ng/mL and of the drug user/seller at 3 ng/mL.