Ruth Waddell Smith

2 papers in the library · 20 citations · publishing 2012

Papers

Forensic analysis of Salvia divinorum using multivariate statistical procedures. Part I: discrimination from related Salvia species.

Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry January 1, 2012 Melissa A Bodnar Willard, Victoria L Mcguffin, Ruth Waddell Smith 15 citations

Salvinorin A, the active compound in the hallucinogenic herb Salvia divinorum, was extracted from its leaves in five minutes using dichloromethane. Four other Salvia species (Salvia officinalis, Salvia guaranitica, Salvia splendens, and Salvia nemorosa) were extracted the same way, and all extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Visual inspection of the chromatograms distinguished S. divinorum from the others. For a more objective comparison, the total ion chromatograms were processed with principal components analysis after data pretreatment to reduce non-chemical variance. The resulting scores plot also allowed visual discrimination. Numerical assessments using Euclidean distance, hierarchical cluster analysis, t tests, Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, and Pearson correlation were applied to the PCA scores, and these statistical procedures were compared for their forensic usefulness.

DOI: 10.1007/s00216-011-5479-0 Full text Salvia divinorum Plant Hallucinogenic Chemical signature +8

Forensic analysis of Salvia divinorum using multivariate statistical procedures. Part II: association of adulterated samples to S. divinorum.

Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry January 1, 2012 Melissa A Bodnar Willard, Victoria L Mcguffin, Ruth Waddell Smith 5 citations

Salvia divinorum, a plant with hallucinogenic properties due to its active ingredient salvinorin A, was studied to see if it could be identified when mixed with other plant materials. The plant was extracted and added to samples of S. divinorum, Salvia officinalis, Cannabis sativa, and Nicotiana tabacum to mimic adulterated forensic samples. After extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, the data were preprocessed and examined with principal components analysis (PCA). Visual inspection of PCA scores plots allowed association of adulterated extracts with unadulterated S. divinorum. Additional statistical tests—Euclidean distance, hierarchical cluster analysis, t tests, Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, and Pearson correlation—provided further evaluation, with their forensic advantages and limitations compared.

DOI: 10.1007/s00216-011-5500-7 Full text Forensic science Forensics Forensic identification Forensic analysis +19