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2-Benzylbenzimidazole derivatives comprise a small but forensically significant group of synthetic opioids. In humans, the metabolism of some members of this group is extensive, with little or none of the parent compound remaining. The recent detection of the 2-benzylbenzimidazole derivative, etazene (etodesnitazene), in products seized in Russia required the detection of its metabolites in biofluids for forensic toxicology purposes. Using gas chromatography--mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and high resolution accurate mass (HRAM) liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS), eight etazene metabolites were found in the urine and serum of rats. These were tentatively identified as products of N-deethylation, O-deethylation, hydroxylation or N-oxidation of benzimidazole moiety and combinations of these processes. The parent substance and its O-deethylated metabolite prevailed in rat serum, while in urine, the level of etazene was low compared to N,O-deethylated and N-deethylated with hydroxylation metabolites. Glucuronidated, sulfonated and glutathionated forms were not found. Taking into account reports on the study of the metabolism of other 2-benzylbenzimidazole derivatives in humans, it may be concluded that the mono-deethylated and mono-hydroxylated metabolites are suitable as target analytes in urine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The metabolites were hydroxylated, containing the carbonyl group and N-dealkylated. [•] The metabolite with the hydroxyl group on the N-pentyl chain was the most abundant. [•] The parent compounds were not detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on the pyrolysis of the synthetic cannabinoid agonist UR-144 ((1-pentyl-1H-indol-3-yl)(2,2,3,3-tetramethylcyclopropyl)methanone) have shown that its major pyrolysis product is a tetramethylcyclopropane ring-opened alkene. Considering that smoking is a common way of ingesting synthetic cannabimimetics, the presence of the metabolites of this pyrolysis product would be expected in biological fluids. Using GC-MS and LC–MS-MS methods, a series of phase I metabolites of UR-144 and its pyrolysis product were detected in the urine samples from patients admitted to hospital with suspected drug intoxication. The metabolites were tentatively identified as the products of mono-hydroxylation, di-hydroxylation, mono-hydroxylation with formation of the carbonyl group on the N-alkyl chain, carboxylation and N-dealkylation with mono-hydroxylation. In the case of the UR-144 pyrolysis product, metabolites with hydration of the aliphatic double bond were also identified. The parent compounds were detected as trace amounts in some urine samples, and the hydrated derivative of the UR-144 pyrolysis product was detected in the majority of samples. The detection of mono-hydroxylated metabolites of UR-144 (LC–MS-MS) and mono-hydroxylated/with hydration metabolites of the UR-144 pyrolysis product (GC-MS) was found to be the most useful method of establishing UR-144 ingestion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]