Chemical identification and optimization of the 4-aminophenol colorimetric test for the differentiation between hemp-type and marijuana-type cannabis plant samples.

The 4- Aminophenol (4-AP) colorimetric test is a fast, easy-to-use, and cost-effective presumptive assay of cannabis plant material producing different chromophores with THC-rich cannabis (blue color) and with CBD-rich cannabis (pink color). The main drawback of the 4-AP test is a brief observation window where the color rapidly changes to black, limiting the utility of the test. We now report for the first time, the identification of the product chromophores between 4-AP and CBD/THC as well as propose an explanation and a solution for the color degradation of the chromophores.

Dried matrix spots: an evolving trend in the toxicological field.

Dried matrix spot (DMS) is a sampling technique, primarily used to analyze blood to diagnose metabolic diseases in newborns. As this technique has several advantages, DMS has started to be employed for other purposes using other biological matrices and increasingly in toxicology over the last decade. The aim of this work was to review the analytical methods using DMS which can be applied to drugs of abuse and which have been published since 2010.

Healing activity of hydrogel containing nanoemulsified β-caryophyllene.

β-caryophyllene is a sesquiterpene present in the oil of many plant species, such as Copaifera sp., which has been shown to possesses potent anti-inflammatory action; however, its healing activity remains under study. The objectives of the present study were to produce a nanoemulsion containing β-caryophyllene followed by a hydrogel containing nanoemulsified β-caryophyllene, to evaluate the permeation profile in vitro, and to assess the in vivo healing activity, which is so far unexplored in the literature for pure β-caryophyllene and in pharmaceutical formulation.

Comparison between counterfeit and authentic medicines: A novel approach using differential scanning calorimetry and hierarchical cluster analysis.

Erectile dysfunction medicines such as Cialis and Viagra are very popular worldwide and are between the most prevalent counterfeit medicines in Brazil. A range of analytical methods has been used to analyze Cialis and Viagra, such as ATR-FTIR, GCMS and UPLC-MS. Until now, there are no data available of DSC methods for analysis of counterfeit medicines of Cialis and Viagra.

Citrus essential oils inhalation by mice: Behavioral testing, GCMS plasma analysis, corticosterone, and melatonin levels evaluation.

The use of orange essential oils (EOs) as a complementary treatment is very common in Brazilian popular culture. The levels of melatonin (MEL) and corticosterone (CORT) hormones were investigated simultaneously, by the Luminex™ immunoassay system in mice plasma, after Citrus aurantium and Citrus sinensis EOs inhalation for 30 min. The plasma was analyzed by headspace through gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry for investigation of the EO components.

Prescription and illicit psychoactive drugs in oral fluid--LC-MS/MS method development and analysis of samples from Brazilian drivers.

This study is part of a larger project designed to investigate the prevalence of psychoactive drug (PAD) use among Brazilian drivers. In this paper we describe the development and validation of an analytical method to analyze 32 prescription and illicit PADs (amphetamines, benzodiazepines, cocaine, cannabis, opioids, ketamine and m-CPP) and metabolites in oral fluid samples collected with a Quantisal™ device. Samples were extracted with ethyl acetate:hexane and analyzed by LC-MS/MS.