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Identification of a novel growth hormone releasing peptide (a glycine analogue of GHRP‐2) in a seized injection vial
Author(s) -
Popławska Magdalena,
Błażewicz Agata
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
drug testing and analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.065
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1942-7611
pISSN - 1942-7603
DOI - 10.1002/dta.2467
Subject(s) - vial , chemistry , chromatography , growth hormone , human growth hormone , mass spectrometry , peptide , quadrupole time of flight , tandem mass spectrometry , drug detection , database , hormone , biochemistry , computer science
Growth hormone releasing peptides (GHRPs) are synthetic peptides with the ability to stimulate human growth hormone (hGH) secretion. Several GHRPs have been developed as drug candidates; however, only one of them, GHRP‐2 (Pralmorelin), has received a clinical approval. Nevertheless, they are distributed on the black market and misused by cheating athletes, due to their performance‐enhancing effects. Hence, GHRPs have been included in the World‐Anti‐Doping‐Agency's Prohibited List as forbidden substances in sport. Predominantly, analytical methods for detection and unequivocal identification of doping substances are based on mass spectrometry. Therefore, in the present work, a qualitative analysis by liquid chromatography coupled to high‐resolution tandem mass spectrometry with a quadrupole time‐of‐flight analyzer was performed to identify a new heptapeptide (MW = 874.02 Da) – a glycine analogue of GHRP‐2. Structure determination using de novo sequencing is described here in detail. The results of this study may indicate a new approach to circumvent a detection of doping practices.