Uncovering the Metabolic Footprint of New Psychoactive Substances by Metabolomics: A Systematic Review

• Type: Another Publication in an International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2025

Authors

Almeida, AS (Author) Other; de Pinho, PG (Author) FFUP; Fernando Remiao (Author) FFUP; Carla Fernandes (Author) FFUP

Journal

Title: Molecules

Vol. 30

Final page: 290

ISSN: 1420-3049

Publisher: MDPI

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 1 Citation

Scopus - 1 Citation

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-017-SVW

DOI: 10.3390/molecules30020290

Abstract (EN): New psychoactive substances (NPSs) emerged in the 2000s as legal alternatives to illicit drugs and quickly became a huge public health threat due to their easy accessibility online, limited information, and misleading labels. Synthetic cannabinoids and synthetic cathinones are the most reported groups of NPSs. Despite NPSs being widely studied, due to their structural diversity and the constant emergence of novel compounds with unknown properties, the development of new techniques is required to clarify their mode of action and evaluate their toxicological effects. Metabolomics has been a useful tool to evaluate the metabolic effects of several xenobiotics. Herein, a systematic review was performed, following PRISMA guidelines, regarding metabolomic studies on synthetic cathinones and synthetic cannabinoids to evaluate their effects in cellular metabolism. In the studies, in vivo models were the most employed (86%) and the analysis mostly followed untargeted approaches (75%) using LC-MS techniques (67%). Both groups of NPSs seem to primarily interfere with energy metabolism-related pathways. Even though this type of study is still limited, metabolomics holds great promise as a tool to clarify mechanisms of actions, identify biomarkers of exposure, and explain the toxicological effects of NPSs.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 22