Abstract: In this study, an analytical method based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was developed for the simultaneous determination of 8 common psychoactive substances derived from cathinone compounds in tea. Extraction, clean-up and chromatographic and mass spectrometric conditions were optimized. As a result, an alkaline solution containing methanol was selected as the extraction solvent, and the extract was cleaned up on an HLB solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridge filled with N-propylethylenediamine (PSA) and separated on a DB-17MS capillary column (30 m × 0.25 mm, 0.25 μm). The mass spectrometer was operated using an electrospray ionization (EI) source in the selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. The calibration curves showed good linearity for the 8 analytes in the concentration range of 0–200 μg/L, with correlation coefficients (r2) higher than 0.998. The limits of detection (LOD, RSN = 3) and limits of quantification (LOQ, RSN = 10) were 7 and 25 μg/kg, respectively. The recoveries from negative samples spiked at 1 ×, 2 × and 10 × LOQ were in the range of 67.2%–117.6%, with relative standard deviations (RSD) of 4.3%–12.3% (n = 6). In summary, this method has good stability and high sensitivity, and is suitable for simultaneous determination of the psychoactive substances derived from cathinones in tea.

Key words: cathinone; tea; gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; new psychoactive substances; screening