Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
February 5, 2020
Alfredo Fabrizio Lo Faro, Annagiulia Di Trana, Nunzia La Maida et al.
45 citations
New psychoactive substances of natural origin, mainly alkaloids from Asian and South American plants, typically have stimulant or hallucinogenic effects, with a few having sedative properties. Information on analytical identification of these substances in plant material is scarce, and there is little data on their characterization and quantification in biological matrices from intoxication or fatality cases. Their metabolism is not fully investigated, making identification infrequent and metabolites often unknown.
International journal of molecular sciences
August 31, 2024
Beldisa Taflaj, Nunzia La Maida, Roberta Tittarelli et al.
22 citations
New psychoactive substances (NPSs) are diverse drugs sold as legal substitutes for controlled drugs, and their psychiatric consequences are not well understood. A review of 109 NPS-related intoxication cases published between 2013 and 2024 found that synthetic cannabinoids were the most common cause of acute or chronic psychiatric symptoms, followed by synthetic cathinones, hallucinogens, natural NPSs, and stimulants. The most frequent acute symptoms included hallucinations, aggressiveness, and psychotic or bizarre behavior, linked to neurotransmitter imbalances in the central nervous system. The absence of clear diagnostic criteria and toxicological analyses complicates psychiatric diagnosis; implementing toxicological screening in emergency rooms and follow-up care is recommended.
Frontiers in pharmacology
January 1, 2025
Georgina De la Rosa, Esther Papaseit, Olga Hladun et al.
7 citations
Alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone (α-PVP), a synthetic cathinone similar to MDPV and cocaine, produces rapid-onset psychostimulant and empathogenic effects after a single intranasal dose. In nine participants with prior psychostimulant use, 10 mg or 20 mg of α-PVP caused an acute increase in blood pressure and heart rate that peaked 40 minutes after administration. Subjective effects appeared quickly and resolved within 3 to 5 hours. The drug's psychostimulant properties resembled those of cocaine, and its empathogenic effects were similar to those of MDMA and other cathinones like methylone.