Toxicological Analysis of Cases of Mixed Poisonings with Synthetic Cathinones and Other Drugs of Abuse.

Some of the most commonly used new psychoactive substances (NPSs) are synthetic cathinones (SCs). The literature increasingly indicates that SCs have a significant addictive potential and pose a high risk to human health and life. The vast majority of SC users take a number of substances simultaneously.

Toxicological Analysis of Intoxications with Synthetic Cathinones.

Synthetic cathinones (SCs) are currently the second largest and the second most frequently seized group of new psychoactive substances. They are sold as replacements for controlled stimulants such as amphetamine, cocaine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Administration of low doses of SCs can cause euphoria and increased alertness, and administration of high doses or chronic use of cathinones can cause serious adverse effects such as hallucinations, delirium, hyperthermia and tachycardia.

First Polish case of fatal single-substance poisoning with cyclopropylfentanyl, a new synthetic opioid.

The article presents the first Polish case of fatal single-substance poisoning with cyclopropylfentanyl, a representative of fentanyl derivatives, whose victim was a 37-year-old man. This opioid was detected in biological material collected during medicolegal autopsy and in the syringe found near the deceased. Blood and urine samples were analyzed using liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry.

Synthetic cathinones - From natural plant stimulant to new drug of abuse.

As recreational substances, synthetic cathinones started to be used at the beginning of the 21st century. There is still limited data on these compounds, introduced to the illicit drug market for the most part after 2009. Considering that synthetic cathinones are currently the second largest group of new psychoactive and dangerous substances among over 670 new psychoactive substances identified in Europe and monitored by the EMCDDA, research on them should be regarded as extremely important.

A two fatal cases of poisoning involving new cathinone derivative PV8.

α-Pyrrolidinoheptiophenone (PV8) is a representative of α-pyrrolidinophenone derivatives, a new group of synthetic cathinones. PV8 was first detected in illegal products in Japan in 2013. It is closely related to α-pyrrolidinovalerophenone (α-PVP), which was one of the most popular novel psychoactive substance (NPS) in Poland in years 2013-2015.

Spectroscopic characterization and crystal structures of two cathinone derivatives: 1-(4-chlorophenyl)-2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-pentan-1-one (4-chloro-α-PVP) sulfate and 1-(4-methylphenyl)-2-(dimethylamino)-propan-1-one (4-MDMC) hydrochloride salts, seized on illicit drug market.

Purpose: Two compounds newly found in the seizures by drug enforcement agencies were identified and characterized by various instrumental analytical methods.

Methods: The obtained powder samples were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, infrared and Raman spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography.

Results: The two compounds were tentatively identified as 4-chloro-α-PVP and 4-MDMC by GC-MS, and LC-MS/MS.

Spectroscopic characterization and crystal structures of two cathinone derivatives: -ethyl-2-amino-1-phenylpropan-1-one (ethcathinone) hydrochloride and -ethyl-2-amino-1-(4-chlorophenyl)propan-1-one (4-CEC) hydrochloride.

Comprehensive chemical characterization for two cathinone derivatives, -ethyl-2-amino-1-phenylpropan-1-one (ethcathinone) hydrochloride and -ethyl-2-amino-1-(4-chlorophenyl)-propan-1-one (4-chloroethcathinone, 4-CEC) hydrochloride, in material seized by drug enforcement agencies was performed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in positive electron ionization mode, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in positive electrospray ionization mode and X-ray crystallography. The examined samples of these two compounds proved to be very pure for ethcathinone and mixed with very small quantities of other substances for 4-CEC by NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. X-ray crystallographic studies confirmed the occurrence of both compounds as racemic mixtures.

Critical approach to flow injection gradient titration as a calibration method.

An attempt was made to demonstrate that flow injection gradient titration should not be considered as classical titration but rather as the indirect calibration method. This was shown experimentally by exploiting indirect spectrophotometric determination of chlorite ions in the presence of iron(II) in an acid environment with measurement of absorbance for the coloured Fe(II)/o-phenanthroline complex at 512nm. In such an analytical system, the peaks of a cut-off profile were obtained with two characteristic points corresponding to equivalent amounts of analyte and reagent, and peak widths were used as the analytical signal.