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Beyer J.,
Ehlers D. and Maurer H.H.: Abuse of Nutmeg (Myristica
fragrans Houtt.). Studies on the Metabolism and the Toxicological Detection
of its Ingredients Elemicin, Myristicin and Safrole in Rat and Human Urine Using
Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry. Therapeutic Drug Monitoring 28
(2006), 568-575 (in English)
Abstract
Seeds of nutmeg are used as spice, but they are also abused because of
psychotropic effects described after ingestion of large doses. It was postulated
that these effects would be attributable to metabolic formation of amphetamine
derivatives from the main nutmeg ingredients elemicin (EL), myristicin (MY) and
safrole (SA). In a case of a suspected nutmeg abuse, neither such amphetamine
derivatives nor the main nutmeg ingredients could be detected in urine.
Therefore, the metabolites of EL, MY and SA were identified using
gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in rat urine and their
presence in human urine of the nutmeg abuser was confirmed. The
identified metabolites indicated that EL, MY and SA were one- and
twofold hydroxylated at the side. In addition, EL was O-demethylated at two
positions followed by side chain hydroxylation. MY and SA were demethylenated
and subsequent methylated. In the human urine sample, the following metabolites
could be identified: O‑demethyl
elemicin, and O‑demethyl
dihydroxy elemicin, demethylenyl myristicin, dihydroxy myristicin, and
demethylenyl safrole. As in the human urine sample, neither amphetamine
derivatives nor the main nutmeg ingredients could be detected in the rat urine
samples. Finally, toxicological detection of a nutmeg abuse was possible by the
authors' systematic toxicological analysis procedure using full-scan GC‑MS
after acid hydrolysis, liquid-liquid extraction and microwave-assisted
acetylation detecting the described main metabolites of EL, MY and SA in urine.
If you wish a reprint, please e-mail to d.m.s.ehlers@cc-chemical-consulting.de
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