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| Formula | C16H19N |
| Molar mass | 225.335 g·mol−1 |
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Ephenidine (also known asNEDPA andEPE) is adissociativeanesthetic that has been sold online as adesigner drug.[1][2] It is illegal in some countries as astructural isomer of the banned opioid druglefetamine, but has been sold in countries where it is not yet banned.[3][4]
Ephenidine and related diarylethylamines have been studied in vitro as treatments for neurotoxic injuries, and areantagonists of theNMDA receptor (Ki = 66.4 nM for ephenidine).[5][6][7][8][9] Ephenidine also possesses weaker affinity fordopamine andnorepinephrine transporters (379 nM and 841 nM, respectively) as well asσ1R (629 nM) andσ2R (722 nM) binding sites.[10]
Ephenidine'smetabolic pathway consists of N-oxidation, N-dealkylation, mono- and bis-hydroxylation of the benzyl ring, and hydroxylation of the phenyl ring only after N-dealkylation. The dihydroxy metabolites were conjugated by methylation of one hydroxy group, and hydroxy metabolites by glucuronidation or sulfation.[3][11]
Ephenidine reacts withreagent testing kits to give a semi-unique array of colors which can be used to aid its identification.
| Reagent | Reaction color |
|---|---|
| Marquis | Orange > Brown |
| Mandelin | Green |
| Liebermann | Deep red > Brown (fast) |
| Froehde | Light Yellow |
Sweden's public health agency suggested that ephenidine be classified as a hazardous substance on 1 June, 2015. Due to that suggestion, ephenidine became a scheduled substance, in Sweden, as of 18 August, 2015.[13]
In 2016, Canada addedMT-45 and "its salts, derivatives, isomers and analogues" to the Schedule I controlled substance list, and explicitly included ephenidine.[14] Possession without legal authority can result in maximum 7 years imprisonment.
