Synthetic cannabinoids pharmacokinetics and detection methods in biological matrices

Area of Science:

• Forensic Toxicology
• Pharmacology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Synthetic cannabinoids (SC), initially research tools, are now prevalent novel psychoactive substances with significant abuse potential.
• Understanding SC pharmacokinetics and developing robust analytical methods are crucial for forensic and clinical toxicology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review in vivo and in vitro pharmacokinetic data for synthetic cannabinoids.
• To comprehensively analyze analytical methods for identifying SC and their metabolites in biological matrices.
• To address challenges posed by the continuous emergence of new SC compounds.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of pharmacokinetic and analytical studies.
• Analysis of in vivo and in vitro data from animal and human studies.
• Evaluation of various analytical techniques including immunoassays, GC-MS, LC-MS, and HRMS screening.

Main Results:

• SC exhibit high lipophilicity, distributing into brain and adipose tissue.
• Common metabolic pathways include hydroxylation, defluorination, and glucuronidation.
• Analytical methods face challenges with cross-reactivity, standard availability, and complex interpretation, especially for urinary detection.

Conclusions:

• Advanced analytical techniques like non-targeted HRMS screening offer flexibility and retrospective analysis capabilities.
• Streamlined pharmacokinetic assessment and advanced HRMS screening are vital for developing and maintaining relevant assays for emerging synthetic cannabinoids.