Journal of analytical toxicology
June 11, 2024
Gunhild Heide, Ragnhild Elén Gjulem Jamt, Jonas Fainberg-Sandbu et al.
8 citations
Cocaine use is increasing, while the trend for MDMA is less clear. Among drivers apprehended in Norway from 2000 to 2022, cocaine was detected in 2,331 cases and MDMA in 2,569 cases. In cases where only one drug was present, 54% of drivers with cocaine and 38% with MDMA were clinically impaired. Higher blood cocaine concentrations were linked to greater impairment odds, but no such relationship was found for MDMA. Many drivers using these drugs were not assessed as impaired.
Drug Testing and Analysis
March 9, 2024
Marianne Skov‐Skov Bergh, Inger Lise Bogen, Katharina Elisabeth Grafinger et al.
2 citations
N-Ethyl-N-propyltryptamine (EPT), 4-hydroxy-N-ethyl-N-propyltryptamine (4-OH-EPT), and 5-methoxy-N-ethyl-N-propyltryptamine (5-MeO-EPT) are tryptamine-class new psychoactive substances sold online. Their metabolism was previously undescribed. Incubating these compounds with pooled human liver microsomes for up to 4 hours and analyzing with high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry revealed major metabolic pathways. EPT was primarily metabolized by hydroxylation, N-dealkylation, and carbonylation. 4-OH-EPT metabolism involved double bond formation, N-dealkylation, hydroxylation, and carbonylation. 5-MeO-EPT underwent O-demethylation, hydroxylation, and N-dealkylation. Unique metabolites for 4-OH-EPT were identified in a human postmortem blood sample from a suspected EPT or 4-OH-EPT intoxication, demonstrating the markers' forensic utility.
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
February 19, 2026
Marianne Skov-Skov Bergh, Inger Lise Bogen, Merete Vevelstad et al.
A new LC-MS/MS method simultaneously quantifies psilocin, bufotenin, and their metabolites in human whole blood, using protein precipitation and lipid removal filtration. Psilocin degrades rapidly—46-66% at room temperature and 66-76% at 4 °C after one day, reaching 88-100% loss by three days; at -20 °C, up to 51% is lost after one month and ≥91% after three months. In contrast, psilocin glucuronide (PSG) remains stable for 14 days at room temperature and 4 °C, and for at least one year at -20 °C, making it a reliable biomarker of psilocybin intake. Bufotenin shows moderate stability, while 5-HIAA is unsuitable due to endogenous presence. Analysis of 23 forensic blood samples confirmed PSG in nearly all cases, even when psilocin was below the limit of quantification.