Approaches, Challenges, and Advances in Metabolism of New Synthetic Cannabinoids and Identification of Optimal Urinary Marker Metabolites.

We review approaches for determining metabolism of new synthetic cannabinoids (SCs), and challenges and advances in identifying optimal urinary marker metabolites of SC intake. Metabolic patterns of different SC generations are evaluated, and a practical strategy offered for selecting SC urinary marker metabolites. Novel SCs are incubated with human hepatocytes, the most abundant and characteristic metabolites are identified with high-resolution mass spectrometry, and proposed hepatocyte marker metabolites are confirmed in authentic positive urine samples. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.