Journal of analytical toxicology
September 15, 2023
Cristina Calvetti, Alberto Salomone, Andrea Verzeletti et al.
7 citations
An analysis of 847 hair samples from Italian adults aged 18–40, collected during 2020–2021 for driving relicensing or drug withdrawal monitoring, found that 8.4% tested positive for new psychoactive substances (NPS). Ketamine and its metabolite norketamine were the most common, appearing in 56 and 35 samples respectively. Fentanyl, norfentanyl, 4-ANPP, MDMB-4en-PINACA, N,N-DMT, 5-chloro AB-PINACA, α-PHP, and methcathinone were detected in fewer than six samples each. The low detection rate contrasts with the perceived widespread availability of NPS in Italy but aligns with similar hair analysis studies. The authors plan to expand the study population to include a broader age range and more diverse origins.
Drug testing and analysis
May 1, 2023
Marta Massano, Enrico Gerace, Martina Borsari et al.
6 citations
Methoxpropamine (MXPr), a dissociative drug similar to ketamine, was studied in 16 mice to track how it breaks down in the body. After injecting the mice with 1, 3, or 10 mg/kg of MXPr, urine was collected hourly for six hours and then at 12- to 24-hour intervals; plasma was collected after 24 hours. Using high-resolution mass spectrometry, the main metabolite found in urine was desmethyl-MXPr-glucuronide, detectable up to 24 hours after administration. NorMXPr, produced by N-dealkylation, appeared in urine, plasma, and fur. Other metabolites in fur and plasma included desmethyl-MXPr and dihydro-MXPr. Understanding these metabolites can help improve toxicological screening for MXPr in biological samples.
Environmental toxicology and pharmacology
April 1, 2025
Christina Ververi, Elisah Rasoanomenjanahary Nahavitatsara, Brigitte Annie Bezandry et al.
Bufotenine, a psychoactive compound, was detected in the skin of the invasive toad Duttaphrynus melanostictus in Toamasina, Madagascar, and in its predators, the tiger frog Hoplobatrachus tigerinus and the leech Haemopis sanguisiga. Concentrations increased with the toad's developmental stage; eggs contained no detectable bufotenine, while tadpoles and adult skin did. A simple liquid-liquid extraction and UHPLC-MS/MS method reliably quantified the compound across a 10–1000 ng/mL range.