Authors:	Losacker, Moritz Zörntlein, Siegfried Schwarze, Bernd Staudt, Svenja Röhrich, Jörg Hess, Cornelius
Title:	Determination of the enantiomeric composition of amphetamine, methamphetamine and 3,4-methylendioxy-N-methylamphetamine (MDMA) in seized street drug samples from southern Germany
Online publication date:	12-Sep-2022
Year of first publication:	2022
Language:	english
Abstract:	Amphetamine (speed), methamphetamine (crystal meth), and 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) represent the most frequently abused amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS). Differences in pharmacological potency and metabolism have been shown for the enantiomers of all three stimulants. Legal consequences in cases of drug possession may also differ according to the German law depending on the enantiomeric composition of the seized drug. Therefore, enantioselective monitoring of seized specimens is crucial for legal and forensic casework. Various kinds of samples of amphetamine (n = 143), MDMA (n = 94), and methamphetamine (n = 528) that were seized in southern Germany in 2019 and 2020 were analyzed for their chiral composition using different chromatographic methods. Whereas all samples of amphetamine and MDMA were racemic mixtures, the chiral composition of the methamphetamine specimens was diverse. Although the vast majority (n = 502) was present as (S)-methamphetamine, also specimens containing pure (R)-methamphetamine (n = 7) were found. Furthermore, few samples (n = 8) were of racemic nature or contained non-racemic mixtures of both enantiomers (n = 10). Because methamphetamine appears in varying enantiomeric compositions, any seizure should be analyzed using an enantioselective method. Amphetamine and MDMA, on the other hand, currently appear to be synthesized exclusively via racemic pathways and are not chirally purified. Nevertheless, regular monitoring of the chiral composition should be ensured.
DDC:	610 Medizin 610 Medical sciences
Institution:	Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
Department:	FB 04 Medizin
Place:	Mainz
ROR:	https://ror.org/023b0x485
DOI:	http://doi.org/10.25358/openscience-7708
Version:	Published version
Publication type:	Zeitschriftenaufsatz
License:	CC BY
Information on rights of use:	https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Journal:	Drug testing and analysis 14 3
Pages or article number:	557 566 Special Issue: Addressing the challenges in forensic drug chemistry II
Publisher:	Wiley
Publisher place:	Hoboken, NJ
Issue date:	2022
ISSN:	1942-7611
Publisher DOI:	10.1002/dta.3118
Appears in collections:	JGU-Publikationen