Paper-supported polystyrene membranes for micro-solid phase extraction of date-rape drugs from urine: A sustainable analytical approach.

Background: The rapid development of micro-solid phase extraction (μ-SPE) procedures with new sorption materials, in particular, based on using natural materials, is currently reported. The production of these sorbents and the entire extraction procedure should support the implementation of Green Analytical Chemistry (GAC) principles. Promising materials are sorbents based on paper, which can be relatively easily modified, among others: by covering it with a polymer membrane.

Raman Spectroscopy for the Time since Deposition Estimation of a Menstrual Bloodstain.

Forensic chemistry plays a crucial role in aiding law enforcement investigations by applying analytical techniques for the analysis of evidence. While bloodstains are frequently encountered at crime scenes, distinguishing between peripheral and menstrual bloodstains presents a challenge. This is due to their similar appearance post-drying.

Electroanalytical characterization of clozapine at the electrified liquid-liquid interface and its detection in soft and hard drinks.

Clozapine (CZ) is a prescribed benzodiazepine psychiatric drug that is often possessed as an illicit drug and is associated with drug-facilitated sexual assaults (DFSA) due to its strong sedative capabilities. Hence, we propose an electrified liquid-liquid interface (eLLI) based transducing element as an alternative electroanalytical platform for rapid screening of CZ in soft and hard drinks which is habitually associated with DFSA crimes. First, molecular partitioning and the effect of chemical composition, pH, and the presence of ethanol in the biphasic configuration of the aqueous phase on the interfacial behaviour and analytical performance of the CZ at the eLLI have been investigated with voltammetry.

Comparison of ZrO Particles and Polyaniline as Additives in Polystyrene-Based Sorbents for the Micro-Solid Phase Extraction of Psychoactive Drugs from Biofluids.

The intensive development of extraction methods based on μ-SPE extraction contributes to the increased interest in the synthesis of new sorption materials. This work presents the characterization of polystyrene fibers and polystyrene fibers blended with ZrO particles or polyaniline obtained by electrospinning and their use in the extraction of selected psychoactive drugs from biological samples. The characteristic of produced fibers is made by performing SEM images, measuring average fiber diameter, and examining their sorption abilities.

Direct Immersion-Solid Phase Microextraction for Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Patients with Mood Disorders.

This article discusses a new method for monitoring drug concentrations in blood samples from patients with mood disorders. The method uses solid-phase microextraction to extract analytes directly from blood samples. It has been adapted to identify the most commonly used drugs in mood disorders, including amitriptyline, citalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline, trazodone, duloxetine, venlafaxine, lamotrigine, quetiapine, olanzapine, and mirtazapine.

Nitrazepam and 7-aminonitrazepam studied at the macroscopic and microscopic electrified liquid-liquid interface.

Two benzodiazepine type drugs, that is, nitrazepam and 7-aminonitrazepam, were studied at the electrified liquid-liquid interface (eLLI). Both drugs are illicit and act sedative in the human body and moreover are used as date rape drugs. Existence of the diazepine ring in the concerned chemicals structure and one additional amine group (for 7-aminonitrazepam) allows for the molecular charging below their pKa values, and hence, both drugs can cross the eLLI interface upon application of the appropriate value of the Galvani potential difference.

Fast and Noninvasive Hair Test for Preliminary Diagnosis of Mood Disorders.

The main objective of this study was to develop a test for the fast and noninvasive prediagnosis of mood disorders based on the noninvasive analysis of hair samples. The database included 75 control subjects (who were not diagnosed with depression) and 40 patients diagnosed with mood disorders such as depression or bipolar disorder. Both women and men, aged 18-65 years, participated in the research.

The DI-SPME Method for Determination of Selected Narcotics and Their Metabolites, and Application to Bone Marrow and Whole Blood Analysis.

The present investigation utilised the quick and easy SPME/LC-MS method to determine selected narcotic substances and their metabolites in whole blood. The study included qualitative analysis and validation of the method. Analytes were determined in the linearity range of 25−300 ng/mL.

A sustainable approach for the stability study of psychotropic substances using vitreous humor and liver as alternative matrices.

The stability of psychotropic substances representing various drug groups important from the perspective of forensic chemistry, including benzodiazepines, antidepressants, carbamazepine, cocaine, and their selected metabolites, was investigated for 1 month in two alternative biological matrices, vitreous humor and liver homogenate. Three different thermal storage conditions (-20, 4, and 20 °C) were tested. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis was preceded by an effective solid-phase microextraction (SPME) procedure.

Copper and Zinc as Potential Biomarkers of Mood Disorders and Pandemic Syndrome.

The diagnosis of affective disorders has been the subject of constant research by clinicians from all over the world for many years. Making an appropriate diagnosis among patients suffering from mood disorders is sometimes problematic due to the personality-changing nature of patients and the similarity in the clinical picture of episodes in affective disorders. For this reason, there is a need to develop rapid and effective methods of determining biological markers that differentiate these diseases.

A Perspective of the Comprehensive and Objective Assessment of Analytical Methods Including the Greenness and Functionality Criteria: Application to the Determination of Zinc in Aqueous Samples.

The recently proposed concept of White Analytical Chemistry (WAC), referring to the Red-Green-Blue color model, combines ecological aspects (green) with functionality (red and blue criteria), presenting the complete method as "white". However, it is not easy to carry out an overall quantitative evaluation of the analytical method in line with the WAC idea in an objective manner. This paper outlines the perspective of the future development of such a possibility by attempting to answer selected questions about the evaluation process.

Differentiation of isomeric metabolites of carbamazepine based on acid-base properties; Experimental vs theoretical approach.

Metabolism of carbamazepine is complex and leads to the three isomeric derivatives whose occurrence is dependent on the type of sample material. Their unambiguous differentiation is overall important. In this work, the qualitative analysis of 2-hydroxycarbamazepine, 3-hydroxycrbamazepine and carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide was attempted for the first time using capillary zone electrophoresis, based on the models linking electrophoretic mobility with pK value determining the acidity of the hydroxyl groups.

The Double Face of Ketamine-The Possibility of Its Identification in Blood and Beverages.

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a high-sensitivity methodology for identifying one of the most used drugs-ketamine. Ketamine is used medicinally to treat depression, alcoholism, and heroin addiction. Moreover, ketamine is the main ingredient used in so-called "date-rape" pills (DRP).

Probing menstrual bloodstain aging with fluorescence spectroscopy.

Menstrual blood (MB) is a common and important type of forensic evidence, especially in sexual assault cases. MB is composed of peripheral blood (PB), vaginal fluid, and endometrial cells of the uterine wall. In forensic investigations, the differentiation of MB and PB can determine whether the blood present is a result of tissue damage from an assault or a natural cause and thus help to reconstruct the event.

Development of a new method for drug detection based on a combination of the dried blood spot method and capillary electrophoresis.

The aim of this study was to develop a new approach to sample preparation of biological material based on a combination of the Dried Blood Spot (DBS) method and capillary electrophoresis coupled with mass spectrometry (CE-MS) for the analysis of blood samples collected in vivo or post-mortem. The proposed approach allowed the identification of typical drugs from different groups, such as tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline, imipramine), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (citalopram), benzodiazepines (tetrazepam) and hypnotics (zolpidem). In this study, a blood sample was spotted on FTA DMPK C cards, then dried, and 6-mm discs were cut out.

Does selenium fortification of kale and kohlrabi sprouts change significantly their biochemical and cytotoxic properties?

Background: The sprouts of Brassica vegetables are known from their nutritional and chemopreventive values. Moreover, sprouts fortification with some trace elements, like selenium, may increase their importance in human diet. Thus, the aim of our study was to examine if selenium enrichment of kale and kohlrabi sprouts may influence their biochemical properties (phenolic acids and L-tryptophan content, antioxidant potential) or cytotoxic activity.

Fast and efficient analyses of the post-mortem human blood and bone marrow using DI-SPME/LC-TOFMS method for forensic medicine purposes.

For the first time the method DI-SPME/LC-TOFMS was used and developed in order to determine the large antidepressant drugs in real forensic cases. The aim of the study was to optimize the new DI-SPME/LC-TOFMS method for the quantification of the large group of psychotropic drugs such as benzodiazepines, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, selective serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants and sleeping pills "Z". The volume of the sample, adsorption time, post-adsorption purification and desorption time were precisely optimized.

Postmortem analysis of human bone marrow aspirate - Quantitative determination of SSRI and SNRI drugs.

For the first time the MAE/UHPLC-TOFMS method was developed and used in order to determine the antidepressant drugs within the human bone marrow aspirate in real forensic cases. The following drugs, belonging to the group of selective serotonin (or serotonin-norepinephrine) reuptake inhibitors, were tested in this study: venlafaxine, citalopram, fluoxetine, sertraline and paroxetine. The sample preparation proposed in the present article included several steps: homogenization in ultrasound bath, liquid-liquid extraction, fat removal and evaporation under nitrogen.

Dried blood spots sampling in case samples deprived of hematocrit level information - Investigation and calculation strategy.

The application of a new calculation strategy for the psychotropic drug concentration in blood and bone marrow samples in the form of dried blood spots (DBS) was the main aim of the study. The standard DBS method consists of the deposition of the capillary blood onto the dedicated paper cards. Nowadays, the DBS technique is seen as a fast and partly superior microsampling alternative methodology replacing the conventional venous blood and plasma collection.

Direct analysis from dried blood spot card surfaces with direct probe mass spectrometry - Evaluation study.

Rationale: The Direct Probe Mass Spectrometry (DIPMS) method allows successful analysis of powders, solid and liquid samples. The potential of direct surface analysis could find further application in the examination of surfaces with good absorption properties such as Dried Blood Spot (DBS) cards that constitute a great alternative to the classical blood collection method directly from veins.

Methods: DIPMS was performed with the ionization carried out under atmospheric pressure in an Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization source.

Human bone marrow as a tissue in post-mortem identification and determination of psychoactive Substances-Screening methodology.

The aim of this study was to apply a new instrumental approach to the analysis of human bone marrow for forensic purposes. A new screening method for the detection of more than 30 psychoactive drugs in bone marrow was developed and applied to case samples. The drugs used in this study belonged to the following groups: benzodiazepines (BZDs, n=16), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs, n=5), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI, n=4), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (n=1), anticonvulsants (n=1), imidazopyridines (n=1) and piperazines (n=3).

Influence of selenium supplementation on fatty acids profile and biological activity of four edible amaranth sprouts as new kind of functional food.

Suitability assessment of amaranth sprouts as a new functional food was carried out. The optimisation of sprouting process and the influence of selenium supplementation, in doses 10, 15, and 30 mg/l of selenium as sodium selenite, on amaranth growth and fatty acid profile were examined. Methods such as FRAP, DPPH, polyphenols content and GPX activity were applied to characterize antioxidant potential of seeds and sprouts of four different edible amaranth genera.

Selenium Supplementation of Amaranth Sprouts Influences Betacyanin Content and Improves Anti-Inflammatory Properties via NFκB in Murine RAW 264.7 Macrophages.

Sprouts contain potent compounds which while influencing crucial transduction pathways in cell reveal anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities. In this study, we report the biological activity for seeds and colourful sprouts of four types of edible amaranth, as amaranth has recently attracted interest due to its appreciable nutritional value. MTT assay conducted for the amaranth seeds and sprouts did not show any adverse effect on the viability of murine RAW 264.

A quick method for determination of psychoactive agents in serum and hair by using capillary electrophoresis and mass spectrometry.

The aim of the research was to develop a new sensitive method for simultaneously the determination of psychoactive drugs: 1-benzylpiperazine, 7-aminoclonazepam, alprazolam, clonazepam, diazepam, estazolam, lorazepam and tetrazepam in human serum and hair samples. In the preparation step, microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) was used. Extracts were analyzed by means of capillary electrophoresis with mass spectrometry time-of-flight detection (CE-TOF-MS).

Development of the MAE/UHPLC-MS-TOF method for determination of benzodiazepines in human bio-fluids for toxicological analysis.

A rapid method of microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) followed by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry with time of flight detection (UHPLC-MS-TOF) was optimized and validated for the purpose of determination of five benzodiazepines in human serum and blood samples. Extraction parameters and conditions of the UHPLC-MS-TOF method were defined. Validation of the developed method was performed at three concentration levels: 10, 100 and 250 ng/mL of each drug for both serum and blood samples.