Analysis of 1-(3-methoxy-4,5-methylenedioxyphenyl)-2-propanamine (MMDA) derivatives synthesized from nutmeg oil and 3-methoxy-4,5-methylenedioxybenzaldehyde

Abstract

Myristicin, a natural product found in nutmeg oil and nutmeg extract, contains the carbon skeleton for a series of drugs of abuse related to the 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamines (MDAs). Myristicin, 1-(3-methoxy-4,5-methylenedioxyphenyl)-2-propene, was identified as the major component of commercially available nutmeg oil and in the organic extract of nutmeg powder. The starting materials, intermediates, and products in the synthesis of the drug of abuse N-methyl-1-(3-methoxy-4,5-methylenedioxyphenyl)-2-propanamine (MMDMA) from myristicin were characterized by gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis. MMDMA and several primary amine derivatives including 1-(3-methoxy-4,5-methylenedioxyphenyl)-2-ethanamine, -propanamine, and -butanamine were also prepared from the commercially available aldehyde, 3-methoxy-4,5-methylenedioxybenzaldehyde. Each of these amine derivatives has a distinct mass spectrum characterized by amine-dominated fragmentation. All four amines in this study were resolved by reversed-phase liquid chromatography using an acidic aqueous mobile phase. Relative retention in this system was determined by differences in the hydrophobic surface area of the four amines.