Bromo-DragonFly: Chemistry, Pharmacology and Toxicology of Benzodifuran Derivative Producing LSD-Like Effects

In the last decades, the spread of psychotropic drugs belonging to the phenethylamine family has been continually on the rise [1,2]. These drugs are often synthesized illegally in underground laboratories or marketed via-internet by smart shops and chemicals research suppliers [1,3]. Recently, a phenethylamine-related compound named BromoDragonFly (BDF) has received large popularity among young people for its LSD-like effects [4]. BDF is a potent and long-acting synthetic psychedelic substance used as recreational drug since 2001 [4]. This drug, also called ABDF, FLY, DOB-Dragonfly, spamfly, placid, B-fly, 3C-Bromo-Dragonfly, bromo-benzodifuranil-isopropylamine, was first synthesized by Matthew A. Parker in the laboratory of David E. Nichols at Purdue University in 1998 as a new research probe to investigate central nervous system (CNS) serotonin receptor structure and activity [5]. The name of BDF is derived from a resemblance between its molecular skeleton and a dragonfly for the presence of two furan rings on opposing sides of a central phenyl ring forming the wings (Figure 1). No epidemiological study has investigated the spread of BDF among people, but since its appearance within the recreational drug market, several cases of severe intoxication and deaths have been related with its consumption in some countries [3,4,6-10]. Furthermore, 1230 and 7600 blotters of BDF have been seized in Finland in 2009 and 2010, respectively [11]. In addition, the discussion about this hallucinogen among drug users is still lively within the drugs forum [12-16]. Finally, the use of Google Insights for Search, a google application for compare search volume patterns across specific regions, categories, time frames and properties, has shown a shift of interest for this drug from Europe to North America in recent years [17]. Despite being considered a substance that causes concern in terms of its potency and toxicity [9], there is very little information about its acute and chronic human toxicity. The aim of this paper is to summarize the clinical, pharmacological and toxicological information currently available about this new and dangerous hallucinogenic substance of abuse.