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Updated: Oct 14, 2025

Rapid High-throughput Species Identification of Botanical Material Using Direct Analysis in Real Time High Resolution Mass Spectrometry
Published on: October 2, 2016
[Identification of New Psychoactive Tryptamines 4-OH-MET and 4-AcO-DMT Using High Resolution Mass Spectrometry and
Abstract:
Objective To detect the uncontrolled new psychoactive tryptamines involved in drug-related cases with high resolution mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Methods White and brown powder obtained in actual cases were extracted and analyzed by gas chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-QTOF-MS), ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-linear ion trap quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry (UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS) and 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR). Results After detection by GC-QTOF-MS, the components of white powder showed main characteristic fragment ion peaks at m/z 218.141 0 (molecular ion peak), 72.080 6 (base peak), etc. After detection by UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS, its protonated molecular ion was m/z 219.149 4. The main ions in the secondary mass spectrum under the collision-induced dissociation (CID) mode were m/z 160.076 3 and 72.080 8. After detection by GC-QTOF-MS, the components of brown powder showed main characteristic fragment ion peaks at m/z 246.135 7 (molecular ion peak), 58.065 1 (base peak), etc. After detection by UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS, its protonated molecular ion was m/z 247.145 0. The main ions in the secondary mass spectrum under CID mode were m/z 202.087 1, 160.076 3 and 134.060 5. NIST 17 library retrieval and 1H-NMR confirmed that the white powder and brown powder contained new psychoactive tryptamines 4-OH-MET and 4-AcO-DMT, respectively. Conclusion GC-QTOF-MS, UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS and 1H-NMR can be used together to identify unknown new psychoactive substances.
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