New trends of new psychoactive substances (NPS)-infused chocolate: Identification and quantification of trace level of NPS in complex matrix by GC-MS and NMR.
Talanta April 1, 2023 Chun-Hui Song, Wei Jia, Cui-Mei Liu et al. 14 citations
For the first time, identification and quantification of trace levels of new psychoactive substances (NPS) in chocolate have been achieved. Eleven NPS were detected in 65 seized chocolate samples, including deoxymethoxetamine, 3-OH-PCP, 6-APB, 4-APB, 4-OH-MiPT, 3-FEA, 2-FEA, 3-MMC, bromazolam, 2-FDCK, and ADB-BUTINACA. A general 1H quantitative NMR method was developed for 297 types of NPS, with limits of detection of 0.05-0.1 mg/mL, limits of quantification of 0.01-0.03 mg/mL, repeatability and reproducibility below 0.5% and 3.6%, and recoveries of 91.7% to 104.4%. Quantitative analysis showed NPS content ranged from 0.5 mg/g to 44.1 mg/g. The method is simple, fast, precise, and requires no reference materials. The random type and content of NPS pose significant health risks to consumers, warranting increased monitoring.