is a psychoactive plant indigenous to Central and South Asia, traditionally used both for recreational and religious purposes, in addition to folk medicine. Cannabis is a rich source of natural compounds, the most important of which are commonly known as cannabinoids that cause a variety of effects through interaction with the endocannabinoid system. In this study, a high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet/photodiode array (PDA) method was developed and validated for the analysis of 15 cannabinoids in cannabis plant materials and cannabis-based marketed products.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA group of theobromine derivatives was designed based on the key pharmacophoric characteristics of VEGFR-2 inhibitors. HepG2 and MCF-7 cancer cell lines were used to test the obtained compounds for their in vitro anti-proliferative activities. Compound 15 (2-(3,7-Dimethyl-2,6-dioxo-2,3,6,7-tetrahydro-1H-purin-1-yl)-N-(4-(1-(2-(4-hydroxybenzoyl)hydrazono)ethyl) phenyl)acetamide) was the most potent cytotoxic member against MCF-7 (IC = 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe synthetic benzimidazole opioid etazene (which has a 70-times higher analgesic activity than morphine), a recreational drug, has gained popularity as a novel psychoactive substance (NPS) on the illegal/darknet market; however, no experimental information is available at the molecular level on the binding mechanism and putative binding site of etazene and its metabolites at the µ-opioid receptor (MOR). In the present study, we investigated the metabolism of etazene in human liver microsomes using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS). We also explored the possibilities of MOR activation by etazene and its metabolites by studying their binding mechanisms and interaction profiles at an active-state MOR model via molecular docking, binding free energy calculations, and all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFL. (Magnoliaceae) is a plant of considerable medicinal significance; its flowers and seeds have been used in various traditional remedies. Radioligand binding assays of -hexane seeds extract showed displacement of radioligand for cannabinoid (CB1 and CB2) and opioid δ (delta), κ (kappa), and µ (mu) receptors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhytocannabinoids naturally occur in the cannabis plant (), and Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) predominate. There is a need for rapid inexpensive methods to quantify total THC (for statutory definition) and THC-CBD ratio (for classification into three chemotypes). This study explores the capabilities of a spectroscopic technique that combines ultraviolet-visible and fluorescence, absorbance-transmittance excitation emission matrix (A-TEEM).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAngew Chem Int Ed Engl
October 2020
Valuing diversity leads to scientific excellence, the progress of science and most importantly, it is simply the right thing to do. We can value diversity not only in words, but also in actions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA method was developed for the analysis of stimulant drugs, opiates, synthetic opiates, PCP, and benzodiazepines in wastewater samples using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS). A total of 33 compounds (stimulant-type drugs and metabolites of opiates, synthetic opiates, PCP, and benzodiazepines) were analyzed. These drugs included amphetamine (Amp) (1), methamphetamine (Meth) (2), methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) (3), methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) (4), methylenedioxyethylamphetamine (MDEA) (5), benzoylecgonine (BE, the major metabolite of Coc) (6), cocaine (Coc) (7), 6-monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM, the primary urinary metabolite of heroin) (8), codeine (9), hydrocodone (10), hydromorphone (11), morphine (12), norhydrocodone (the primary urinary metabolite of hydrocodone) (13), oxycodone (14), oxymorphone (15), 2-ethylidine-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrolidine (EDDP, the primary urinary metabolite of methadone) (16), fentanyl (17), meperidine (18), methadone (19), norfentanyl (the primary urinary metabolite of fentanyl) (20), normeperidine (the primary urinary metabolite of meperidine) (21), phencyclidine (PCP) (22), tramadol (23), alprazolam (24), temazepam (25), nordiazepam (26), chlordiazepoxide (27), flurazepam (28), oxazepam (29), α-OH-alprazolam (the primary urinary metabolite of alprazolam) (30), α-OH-triazolam (the primary urinary metabolite of triazolam) (31), 2-OH-ethylflurazepam (the primary urinary metabolite of flurazepam) (32), and 7-NH-flunitrazepam (the primary urinary metabolite of flunitrazepam) (33).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFContinuing our studies for the analyses of drugs of abuse in municipal wastewater, a method was developed for the analysis of benzodiazepines in wastewater samples using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS). Ten benzodiazepines and metabolites were analyzed (structures were found), including alprazolam, α-OH-alprazolam (the primary urinary metabolite of alprazolam), chlordiazepoxide, flurazepam, 2-OH-ethylflurazepam (the primary urinary metabolite of flurazepam), 7-NH2-flunitrazepam, nordiazepam, oxazepam, temazepam and α-OH-triazolam (the primary urinary metabolite of triazolam) (representative chromatograms were found). These drugs were chosen because of their widespread abuse.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFContinuing our previous studies analyzing drugs of abuse in municipal wastewater, a method was developed for the analysis of miscellaneous drugs of abuse in wastewater samples using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS). Eight drugs and metabolites were analyzed including 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrolidine (EDDP), fentanyl, norfentanyl, meperidine, normeperidine, methadone, phencyclidine and tramadol. These drugs were chosen because of their widespread abuse.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFContinuing our previous studies analyzing drugs of abuse in municipal wastewater, a method was developed for the analysis of opiates in wastewater samples using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS). Eight opiate drugs and metabolites were analyzed including codeine, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, 6-monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM, the primary urinary metabolite of heroin), morphine, norhydrocodone (the primary urinary metabolite of hydrocodone), oxycodone and oxymorphone. These drugs were chosen because of their widespread abuse.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA method was developed for the analysis of amphetamines and cocaine (Coc) in wastewater samples using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS). Seven stimulant-type drugs and metabolites were analyzed. These drugs included amphetamine (Amp), methamphetamine (Meth), methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), methylenedioxyethylamphetamine (MDEA), Coc and benzoylecgonine (BE, the major metabolite of Coc).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStudents in an instrumental analysis course with a forensic emphasis were presented with a mock scenario in which soil was collected from a murder suspect's car mat, from the crime scene, from adjacent areas, and from more distant locations. Students were then asked to conduct a comparative analysis using the soil's elemental distribution fingerprints. The soil was collected from Lafayette County, Mississippi, USA and categorized as sandy loam.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEtoposide is one of the most successful chemotherapeutic agents used for the treatment of human cancers. The drug kills cells by inhibiting the ability of topoisomerase II to ligate nucleic acids that it cleaves during the double-stranded DNA passage reaction. Etoposide is composed of a polycyclic ring system (rings A-D), a glycosidic moiety at the C4 position, and a pendent ring (E-ring) at the C1 position.
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