A rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed to detect and measure mescaline in hair. The method showed good linearity from 10 to 1000 pg/mg, with a detection limit of 3 pg/mg and quantification limit of 10 pg/mg. Total analysis time was 5 minutes. The method was applied to 19 real forensic cases, finding mescaline concentrations in hair ranging from 10 to 784 pg/mg. Mescaline, a psychedelic alkaloid from the peyote cactus, is a class I psychotropic drug in China, and this method is suitable for large-scale surveillance of mescaline abuse in forensic toxicology.
3-Methoxyeticyclidine (3-MeO-PCE), a substance related to phencyclidine (PCP), binds more strongly to NMDA receptors than PCP and has been linked to fatal overdoses. Using zebrafish and human liver microsomes, researchers identified 14 metabolites of 3-MeO-PCE through metabolic pathways including hydroxylation, O-demethylation, N-dealkylation, dehydrogenation, and conjugation. Urine samples from known consumers revealed 3-MeO-PCE and three metabolites. The hydroxylation product, M2, is recommended as a biomarker to confirm 3-MeO-PCE intake in clinical and forensic settings.