Analytical profile of N-ethyl-N-cyclopropyl lysergamide (ECPLA), an isomer of lysergic acid 2,4-dimethylazetidide (LSZ).
Recent investigations have shown that N-ethyl-N-cyclopropyl lysergamide (ECPLA) produces LSD-like behavioral effects in mice, which suggests that it may act as a hallucinogen in humans. Although the use of ECPLA as a recreational drug has been limited, key analytical data that can be used to detect ECPLA are required for future forensic and clinical investigations. ECPLA is an isomer of (2S,4S)-lysergic acid 2,4-dimethylazetidide (LSZ), a lysergamide that emerged as a recreational drug in 2013. Several analytical approaches were examined, including single- and tandem mass spectrometry platforms at low and high resolution, gas- and liquid chromatography (GC, LC), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), and GC condensed-phase infrared spectroscopy (GC-sIR). ECPLA and LSZ could be differentiated by NMR, GC-sIR, GC, and LC-based methods. The electron ionization mass spectra of ECPLA and LSZ contained ion clusters typically observed with related lysergamides such as mz 150-155, mz 177-182, mz 191-197, mz 205-208, and mz 219-224. One of the significant differences in abundance related to these clusters included ions at mz 196 and mz 207208. The base peaks were detected at mz 221 in both cases followed by the retro-Diels-Alder fragment at mz 292. Minor but noticeable differences between the two isomers could also be seen in the relative abundance of mz 98 and mz 41. Electrospray ionization mass spectra included lysergamide-related ions at mz 281, 251, 223, 208, 197, 180, and 140. LSZ (but not ECPLA) showed product ions at mz 267 and mz 98 under the conditions used.