Metabolism and toxicological detection of the designer drug 4-iodo-2,5-dimethoxy-amphetamine (DOI) in rat urine using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

The amphetamine-derived designer drug 4-iodo-2,5-dimethoxy-amphetamine (DOI) is an upcoming substance on the illicit drug market. In the current study, the identification of its metabolites in rat urine and their toxicological detection in the authors’ systematic toxicological analysis (STA) procedure were examined. DOI is extensively metabolized by O-demethylation and beside small amounts of parent compound it was found to be excreted mainly in form of metabolites. The STA procedure using full-scan GC–MS allowed proving an intake of a common drug users’ dose of DOI by detection of the two O-demethyl metabolite isomers in rat urine. Assuming similar metabolism, the described STA procedure should be suitable for proof of an intake of DOI in human urine.