Target analysis of psychoactive drugs in oral fluid by QuEChERS extraction and LC-MS/MS.

This study aimed to validate a modified QuEChERS method, followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, for the determination of 51 psychoactive substances and screening of 22 ones in oral fluid from electronic dance music party (EDM) attendees. Unstimulated oral fluid was collected in a polypropylene tube and stored in a glass vial at -20 ºC. The sample was extracted with acetonitrile:water and MgSO/NaOAc, followed by cleanup with primary secondary amine and MgSO.

Irgafos 168 and Irganox 1076 as new cocaine cutting agents: A COVID-19 pandemic impact on cocaine profiling and trafficking in Brazil.

Backgrounds: Restrictions in movement and closure of borders imposed by the Sars-Cov- 2 worldwide pandemic have affected the global illicit drug market, including cocaine trafficking. In this scenario, comparing cutting agents added to the cocaine and the drug purity are valuable strategies to understand how the drug trade has been impacted by the pandemic.

Methods: In this work, 204 cocaine salt materials seized in the Brazilian Federal District, before (2019) and during COVID-19 pandemics (2020) were analyzed by two analytical techniques: gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).

Determination of new psychoactive substances and other drugs in postmortem blood and urine by UHPLC-MS/MS: method validation and analysis of forensic samples.

Purpose: This study aimed to validate a modified QuEChERS method followed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to determine 79 new psychoactive substances (NPS) and other drugs in blood and urine.

Methods: Prescription drugs (n = 23), synthetic cathinones (n = 13), phenethylamines (n = 11); synthetic cannabinoids (n = 8), amphetamines (n = 7) and other psychoactive substances (n = 17) were included in the method. 500 µL of biological fluid was extracted with 2 mL of water/ACN (1:1), 500 mg of anhydrous MgSO/NaOAc (4:1) added, followed by a supernatant cleanup with 25 mg of primary secondary amine and 75 mg of anhydrous MgSO.

Fatal cases involving new psychoactive substances and trends in analytical techniques.

New psychoactive substances (NPS) are an emerging public health issue and deaths are commonly associated with polydrug abuse. Moreover, the number of new substances available is constantly increasing, causing intoxications in low doses, characteristics that impose to toxicology and forensic laboratories to keep routine methods up to date, with high detectability and constantly acquiring new analytical standards. Likewise, NPS metabolites and respective elimination pathways are usually unknown, making it difficult the detection and confirmation of the drug involved in the fatal case in an analytical routine.

Scott test associated with multivariate image analysis: A more selective alternative for cocaine research in forensic laboratories.

Scott test is a simple, rapid, and low-cost preliminary test used extensively to suggest the presence of cocaine in drug seizures due to the development of a blue color. However, the presence of cutting agents can compromise the test result and may suggest the presence of cocaine when the drug is absent. This study evaluated the frequency of these results and the spectral behavior and color development of false positive substances.

Forensic laboratory backlog: The impact of inconclusive results of marijuana analysis and the implication on analytical routine.

Forensic laboratories worldwide are struggling to keep up with the increasing number of cases submitted for analysis, regardless of the reasons, backlog of controlled substances cases is a reality in many countries. In this paper we analyse the number of petitioned examinations (from 2016 to 2020) and the data from 11,655 marijuana TLC results from the Forensic Laboratory in the Federal District Civil Police in Brazil. Data demonstrates that backlog increases inconclusive results, with storage and light playing a crucial role in the process.

Drugs, pesticides and metabolites in forensic post-mortem blood samples.

Forensic post-mortem toxicological data provide valuable information for the elucidation of cause of death. However, this is still not routine practice in Brazilian laboratories. This study investigated the presence of illicit and prescription drugs, pesticides and metabolites in 111 post-mortem blood samples from cases investigated by the Forensic Medical Institute of the Federal District, Brazil.

Simultaneous determination of drugs and pesticides in postmortem blood using dispersive solid-phase extraction and large volume injection-programmed temperature vaporization-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

A d-SPE protocol followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis using large volume injection-programmed temperature vaporization (LVI-PTV) was optimized for simultaneous quantification of 14 pesticides, drugs of abuse, prescription drugs and metabolites in human postmortem blood without derivatization. The validated method showed good repeatability, linearity, intermediate precision, and recovery. LOQs were 0.

25I-NBOH: a new potent serotonin 5-HT receptor agonist identified in blotter paper seizures in Brazil.

A new potent serotonin 5-HT receptor agonist was identified in blotter papers by several state level forensic laboratories in Brazil. The 25I-NBOH is a labile molecule, which fragments into 2C-I when analyzed by routine seized material screening gas chromatography (GC) methods. GC-mass spectrometry (MS), liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight-MS, and Fourier transform infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses were performed to complete molecular characterization.