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Merone GM, Tartaglia A, Rossi S, Santavenere F, Bassotti E, D'Ovidio C, Bonelli M, Rosato E, de Grazia U, Locatelli M, Savini F. Fast Quantitative LC-MS/MS Determination of Illicit Substances in Solid and Liquid Unknown Seized Samples. Anal Chem 2021; 93:16308-16313. [PMID: 34843645 PMCID: PMC8674870 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c03310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
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Narcotic and psychotropic
substances are natural, synthetic, or
semisynthetic compounds that are present in both solid and liquid
illicit products. The alterations effects on the central nervous system
related to their use can be psycholeptic, psychoanaleptic, or psychodiseptic
and are able to generate tolerance, addiction, or dependence phenomena,
creating social and public order problems. In this scenario, the analytical
evaluations that aim to determine these analytes in seized nonbiological
samples, and which assume the character of judicial evidence, must
meet high analytical requirements of reliability, transparency, and
procedures uniformity at a national level. For the first time in the
literature, the herein validated method is able to provide the simultaneous
quantitative determination of 37 of the most common narcotic substances
as well as the most commonly used excipients/adulterants found in
seized illicit material. Additionally, the validated method can process
both solid and liquid samples maintaining the precision and trueness
levels (intraday and interday) in accordance with the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency international guidelines
(<14.31 and <13.41%, respectively). Furthermore, it provides
a simple and fast procedure for sample preparation using the dilute and shoot approach, exploiting the sensitivity and
selectivity of the LC-MS/MS instrument configuration used and the
signal acquisition in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode (both
positive and negative polarization modes).
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe M Merone
- Pharmatoxicology Laboratory, Hospital "Santo Spirito", Via Fonte Romana 8, Pescara 65124, Italy
| | - Angela Tartaglia
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Chieti-Pescara "G. d'Annunzio", Via dei Vestini 31, Chieti 66100, Italy
| | - Sandra Rossi
- Pharmatoxicology Laboratory, Hospital "Santo Spirito", Via Fonte Romana 8, Pescara 65124, Italy
| | - Francesco Santavenere
- Pharmatoxicology Laboratory, Hospital "Santo Spirito", Via Fonte Romana 8, Pescara 65124, Italy
| | - Elisa Bassotti
- R&D Department, Eureka Lab Division, Via Enrico Fermi, 25, Chiaravalle 60033, Italy
| | - Cristian D'Ovidio
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Chieti-Pescara "G. d'Annunzio", Chieti 66100, Italy
| | - Martina Bonelli
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Chieti-Pescara "G. d'Annunzio", Chieti 66100, Italy
| | - Enrica Rosato
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Chieti-Pescara "G. d'Annunzio", Via dei Vestini 31, Chieti 66100, Italy
| | - Ugo de Grazia
- Laboratory of Neurological Biochemistry and Neuropharmacology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Marcello Locatelli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Chieti-Pescara "G. d'Annunzio", Via dei Vestini 31, Chieti 66100, Italy
| | - Fabio Savini
- Pharmatoxicology Laboratory, Hospital "Santo Spirito", Via Fonte Romana 8, Pescara 65124, Italy
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Personal Doses of Cocaine and Coca Paste are Adulterated in Cartagena de Indias (Colombia). ScientificWorldJournal 2021; 2021:5562315. [PMID: 34121949 PMCID: PMC8172318 DOI: 10.1155/2021/5562315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowledge of drug composition consumed on the streets and the identification and quantification of their adulterants is essential for understanding unexpected side effects, tracking routes, and drug profiling. Therefore, this work aimed to determine the purity and to identify and quantify the main adulterants found in personal doses of cocaine (perico) and coca paste (bazuco) in Cartagena de Indias (Colombia). The data collected in this study describe a first attempt to introduce the qualitative and quantitative analyses of adulterants present in street drugs in Cartagena de Indias to improve surveillance. Through gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS), the purity and adulterants were quantified in 45 personal doses of cocaine powder and coca paste. 100% of the personal doses in the city were adulterated; caffeine, phenacetin, and levamisole were the main adulterants identified in cocaine. Besides the above, lidocaine was also found in coca paste. The purity of cocaine varied from 8% to almost 70%, with caffeine ranging from 6% to 42%. In the case of coca paste, the maximum content of cocaine found was 60%, while some samples contained as little as 14%. The results are consistent with other research in terms of the widespread use of caffeine as an adulterant, but they also follow the growing trend of the use of levamisole and phenacetin. The wide range of cocaine content in samples sold in the illicit market could cause undesirable effects on cocaine users who do not know the exact intended dose for consumption; so, this study intends to make these results available not only to academic, public health, and national security agencies but also to tourists entering Cartagena de Indias, so that they are aware of what they are consuming and the risks to which they are exposed.
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Felipe Montiel N, Parrilla M, Beltrán V, Nuyts G, Van Durme F, De Wael K. The opportunity of 6-monoacetylmorphine to selectively detect heroin at preanodized screen printed electrodes. Talanta 2021; 226:122005. [DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2020.122005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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Fregonese M, Albino A, Covino C, Gili A, Bacci M, Nicoletti A, Gambelunghe C. Drug Checking as Strategy for Harm Reduction in Recreational Contests: Evaluation of Two Different Drug Analysis Methodologies. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:596895. [PMID: 33692707 PMCID: PMC7938318 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.596895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Drug checking as a part of drug harm-reduction strategies represents an essential aspect of public health policies. It focuses on rapid identification of drugs that individuals intend to use during night events, in order to implement health-protective behaviors. Chemical drug analysis techniques vary considerably, from simple colorimetric reagents to advanced forensic methods such as gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Materials and Methods: In 2019, drug-check services were offered at some night events in Umbria (Central Italy). One hundred and twenty attendees directly delivered unidentified substances to a harm-reduction worker, who collected a few milligrams of the substances on ceramic plates and added a drop of colorimetric reagent. Multiple reagents were used to increase the diagnostic capacity of a substance, which may react with a specific drug or a few drugs. Later, a fraction of the samples was analyzed by GC/MS. The concordance of the results obtained using these two methodologies and the intended behaviors of consumers after being informed of the test result was evaluated. Results: We analyzed 120 samples by colorimetric test: 32 MDMA, 25 ketamine, 10 amphetamine, 11 cocaine, 8 heroin, and 4 LSD samples. The results were inconclusive for 29 samples. The GS/MS analysis confirmed MDMA in 84%, ketamine in 78%, amphetamine in 91%, cocaine in 92%, heroin in 88%, and LSD in 100% of the samples. The results of samples with inconclusive results were as follows: 2, MDMA; 7, ketamine; 2, amphetamine; 2, cocaine; 2, heroin; 2, mephedrone; 6, mixes; 1, debris; and 5, adulterants as the main component. Twenty-one of 29 participants reported that they had no intention of consuming the unidentified substance. Discussion: The high percentage of individuals who claimed no intention of consuming the unidentified drugs indicates that drug checking is viable as a part of drug harm-reduction strategies. Overall, colorimetric reagents showed a good performance with regard to samples being unadulterated (LSD) or minimal in quantity, but failed to identify mixtures of substances and the adulterants present in them. Therefore, the use of more discriminatory on-site methods such as Raman or infrared spectrometry is strongly recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrea Albino
- Harm Reduction Services, Cooperative "Borgorete", Perugia, Italy
| | - Claudia Covino
- Local Health Unit, USL Umbria 1, Ser.T Perugia, Ospedale S. Maria della Misericordia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Alessio Gili
- Hygiene and Public Health Section, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Mauro Bacci
- Forensic Medicine, Forensic Science and Sports Medicine Section, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Alessia Nicoletti
- Forensic Medicine, Forensic Science and Sports Medicine Section, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Cristiana Gambelunghe
- Forensic Medicine, Forensic Science and Sports Medicine Section, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
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A brief overview on the importance of analyzing drug adulterants in the treatment of non-fatal overdose and substance use disorder of street cocaine. Forensic Toxicol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11419-020-00548-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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6
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Schram J, Parrilla M, Sleegers N, Samyn N, Bijvoets SM, Heerschop MWJ, van Nuijs ALN, De Wael K. Identifying Electrochemical Fingerprints of Ketamine with Voltammetry and Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry for Its Detection in Seized Samples. Anal Chem 2020; 92:13485-13492. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c02810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Schram
- AXES Group, Bioscience Engineering Department, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
- NANOlab Center of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marc Parrilla
- AXES Group, Bioscience Engineering Department, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
- NANOlab Center of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Nick Sleegers
- AXES Group, Bioscience Engineering Department, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
- NANOlab Center of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Nele Samyn
- Drugs and Toxicology Department, National Institute for Criminalistics and Criminology, Vilvoordsesteenweg 100, 1120 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Stefan M. Bijvoets
- Dutch Customs Laboratory, Kingsfordweg 1, Amsterdam, 1043 GN, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Karolien De Wael
- AXES Group, Bioscience Engineering Department, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
- NANOlab Center of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
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7
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Verri P, Rustichelli C, Ferrari A, Marchesi F, Baraldi C, Licata M, Vandelli D, Palazzoli F, Potì F, Silingardi E. Seizures of illicit substances for personal use in two Italian provinces: analysis of trends by type and purity from 2008 to 2017. SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT PREVENTION AND POLICY 2019; 14:41. [PMID: 31533834 PMCID: PMC6751801 DOI: 10.1186/s13011-019-0229-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The use of illicit substances represents one of the most difficult problems to confront in the health system. Drug use is a global problem but is not uniform throughout the world, within the same country and changes over time. Therefore, knowing the illicit substances that are used in a territory is essential to better organize health services in that specific geographical area. To this aim, we analysed 4200 samples confiscated from individuals who held them for personal use by police forces in the Italian provinces of Modena and Reggio Emilia from 2008 to 2017. METHODS The suspected samples were screened by gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS); all samples were subsequently analysed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) for quantitative analyses. RESULTS Cannabis was the most seized illicit substance (70.7%). Over the study period, the number of seizures of herb with a high content of Δ9-THC increased. The number of cocaine seizures remained stable (total 16.1%), but the median purity of seized cocaine increased to 75% in 2017. Heroin seizures decreased over time, but the median purity of seized heroin reached 16.8% in 2017. In almost all the years, heroin samples with a purity exceeding the 97.5 percentile were found. Especially from 2014, the range of seized substances increased and started to include synthetic cathinones, phenylethylamines, UR-144, LSD, psilocybe, prescription opioid and hypnotics. In two cases, tramadol together with tropicamide was seized. Most of the seizures involved male subjects and 82% of the seizures were from individuals younger than 35 years of age. CONCLUSIONS The persistence of old illicit drugs and the rapid emergence of new psychoactive substances represented a serious challenge for public health in the studied Italian area. Some useful interventions might be: informing mainly young people about the possible complications of cannabis use; implementing standardized procedures to diagnose and treat cocaine-related emergencies in hospitals; increasing the distribution of naloxone to antagonize possible heroin overdoses; equipping laboratories to be able to identify the new psychoactive substances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrizia Verri
- Forensic Toxicology Laboratory; Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via del Pozzo, 71, 41124, Modena, Italy
| | - Cecilia Rustichelli
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via G. Campi, 103, 41125, Modena, Italy.
| | - Anna Ferrari
- Unit of Medical Toxicology, Headache Centre and Drug Abuse; Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via del Pozzo, 71, 41124, Modena, Italy
| | - Filippo Marchesi
- Forensic Toxicology Laboratory; Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via del Pozzo, 71, 41124, Modena, Italy
| | - Carlo Baraldi
- School of Medical Toxicology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via del Pozzo, 71, 41124, Modena, Italy
| | - Manuela Licata
- Forensic Toxicology Laboratory; Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via del Pozzo, 71, 41124, Modena, Italy
| | - Daniele Vandelli
- Forensic Toxicology Laboratory; Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via del Pozzo, 71, 41124, Modena, Italy
| | - Federica Palazzoli
- Forensic Toxicology Laboratory; Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via del Pozzo, 71, 41124, Modena, Italy
| | - Francesco Potì
- Unit of Neuroscience, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Volturno, 39F, 43125, Parma, Italy
| | - Enrico Silingardi
- Forensic Toxicology Laboratory; Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via del Pozzo, 71, 41124, Modena, Italy
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Usman M, Jamshaid T, Naseer A, Baig Y, Mehmood Z, Shahwar M, Akhtar S, Chaudhary MT, Sarwar M, Tahir MA. Component analysis of illicit morphia tablets (clandestine laboratory preparation) using gas chromatography mass spectrometry: a case study. EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES 2018. [DOI: 10.1186/s41935-018-0105-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
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Vinkovic K, Galic N, Schmid MG. Micro-HPLC–UV analysis of cocaine and its adulterants in illicit cocaine samples seized by Austrian police from 2012 to 2017. J LIQ CHROMATOGR R T 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/10826076.2017.1409237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kristinka Vinkovic
- Department for Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Nives Galic
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Martin G. Schmid
- Department for Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
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Villar Núñez MDLÁ, Sánchez Morcillo J, Ruíz Martínez MA. Purity and adulteration in cocaine seizures and drug market inspection in Galicia (Spain) across an eight-year period. Drug Test Anal 2017; 10:381-391. [DOI: 10.1002/dta.2216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2017] [Revised: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 05/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - José Sánchez Morcillo
- Departamento de Farmacia y Tecnología Farmacéutica; Universidad de Granada; Granada Spain
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Brandt SD, Kavanagh PV. Addressing the challenges in forensic drug chemistry. Drug Test Anal 2017; 9:342-346. [DOI: 10.1002/dta.2169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Simon D. Brandt
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences; Liverpool John Moores University; Byrom Street Liverpool L3 3AF UK
| | - Pierce V. Kavanagh
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics; School of Medicine, Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, St James Hospital; Dublin 8, D08W9RT Ireland
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