A fatal intoxication case involving the new psychoactive substance 3-MeO-PCP is reported. The drug, a potent NMDA receptor agonist, was detected in femoral blood at 3,525 ng/mL and urine at 7,384 ng/mL, a blood concentration exceeding previously reported fatal ranges (50–3,200 ng/mL). For the first time, metabolites were identified in blood, including two newly discovered ones: O-demethyl-piperidine-OH-3-MeO-PCP and O-demethyl-cyclohexyl-OH. However, due to unavailable reference standards, metabolite concentrations could not be measured. Low metabolite-to-parent drug ratios (<1) suggest that testing for metabolites does not extend the detection window for this drug.
Mescaline is concentrated in the epidermal tissues and the meristematic tissues of the crown of Lophophora williamsii (peyote), as shown by a validated MALDI mass spectrometry imaging method. Low-temperature storage at -80°C, drying of flower samples, and cutting 40 μm thick sections at -20°C using gelatin as embedding medium are appropriate preparation conditions. Using DCTB as an auxiliary matrix and a laser intensity of 45 are favorable parameters for mescaline analysis. These findings provide a basis for determining the best sampling locations for mescaline in peyote and offer a reference for optimizing storage and preparation conditions for raw plant organs before MALDI detection.
Ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic, is metabolized primarily in the liver by cytochrome P450 enzymes, especially 3A4 and 2B6, into the active metabolite norketamine and other minor compounds. Recent metabolomics studies show ketamine alters glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, amino acid metabolism, and mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation. Understanding these metabolic pathways may improve clinical and forensic characterization of ketamine.