Journal of analytical toxicology
January 1, 2005
Jason Sklerov, Barry Levine, Karla A Moore et al.
142 citations
A 25-year-old white male died after consuming herbal extracts containing beta-carbolines and hallucinogenic tryptamines. Autopsy found no anatomic cause of death. Toxicologic analysis of heart blood identified N,N-dimethyltryptamine (0.02 mg/L), 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (1.88 mg/L), tetrahydroharmine (0.38 mg/L), harmaline (0.07 mg/L), and harmine (0.17 mg/L). The medical examiner ruled the cause of death as hallucinogenic amine intoxication and the manner of death as undetermined.
Journal of analytical toxicology
January 1, 1998
M J Bogusz, R D Maier, K D Krüger et al.
111 citations
A single, universal solid-phase extraction method using C18 cartridges efficiently extracts a wide range of opiate agonists, cocaine metabolites, and LSD from blood, serum, urine, and other biological fluids. The method achieves high recoveries for most drugs and produces clean extracts suitable for analysis by liquid chromatography coupled with atmospheric-pressure chemical-ionization mass spectrometry. The procedure was developed for routine forensic toxicology casework and demonstrates broad applicability across different drug classes and biological matrices.
Journal of analytical toxicology
September 1, 2004
Shawn P Vorce, Jason H Sklerov
79 citations
A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method was developed to screen for six designer tryptamines and phenethylamines recently added to the DEA's controlled substances list. The method detects pentafluoropropionic derivatives of AMT, DMT, 2CB, DPT, 2C-T-7, and 5-MeO-DiPT, with detection limits of 5-10 ng/mL and linearity from 50 to 1000 ng/mL. It was successfully applied to blood and urine from suspected AMT intoxications. Confirmation of 5-MeO-DiPT in one subject's urine by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry yielded a concentration of 229 ng/mL, with linearity from 25 to 1500 ng/mL and a detection limit of 5 ng/mL. Two additional peaks suggested metabolites 5-MeO-iPT and 5-MeO-DiPT-N-oxide.
Journal of analytical toxicology
January 1, 2003
Robert Meatherall, Pankaj Sharma
77 citations
A 21-year-old man ingested a pill called Foxy, containing the hallucinogen 5-methoxy-N,N-diisopropyltryptamine. In the hospital he experienced mild hallucinations and could not move his limbs for about two hours. A urine sample collected four hours after ingestion showed the drug at 1.7 micrograms per milliliter and its metabolite 5-methoxy-indole acetic acid at 1.3 micrograms per milliliter, identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Two other compounds, tentatively identified as 5-methoxy-N-isopropyltryptamine and 5-methoxy-N,N-diisopropyltryptamine-N'-oxide, were also found. The patient was discharged without follow-up.
Journal of analytical toxicology
October 12, 2020
Kelly Francisco da Cunha, Karina Diniz Oliveira, Marilyn A Huestis et al.
73 citations
A new LC-MS-MS method can detect 104 drugs of abuse, including synthetic cannabinoids, cathinones, fentanyl analogues, and other psychoactive compounds, in oral fluid samples collected with a Quantisal™ device. The method uses a 13.5-minute run and achieves limits of detection as low as 0.05 ng/mL for most analytes, though some require higher concentrations. Matrix effects are generally around 60%, and recoveries range from 47.2% to 127%. Drug stability is best at -20°C, but even frozen, some synthetic cannabinoids degrade more than 20% over 90 days. The method was successfully tested on seven authentic samples, confirming 17 different analytes.
Journal of analytical toxicology
October 1, 2003
Byron Curtis, Philip Kemp, Linda Harty et al.
69 citations
2,5-Dimethoxy-4-n-propylthiophenethylamine (2C-T-7), a compound similar to MDMA, was identified in a routine postmortem screening of a 20-year-old man who died after reportedly insufflating 35 mg. A quantitative method for detecting 2C-T-7 in blood, urine, and liver was developed using liquid-liquid extraction and gas chromatography with nitrogen-phosphorus detection and mass spectrometry. Detection and quantitation limits in blood were 6.0 and 15.6 ng/mL. In the case, heart blood contained 57 ng/mL, femoral blood 100 ng/mL, urine 1120 ng/mL, and liver 854 ng/g.
Journal of analytical toxicology
March 1, 2002
Tatsuyuki Kanamori, Hiroyuki Inoue, Yuko Iwata et al.
61 citations
In rats, the psychoactive compound 2C-B is broken down into at least six distinct breakdown products through two main metabolic pathways. One pathway converts 2C-B into an aldehyde, which is then further processed into an alcohol and a carboxylic acid. The other pathway produces metabolites where a methyl group is removed from either the 2- or 5-position of the molecule, followed by acetylation of the amino group. These findings indicate that the body metabolizes 2C-B through multiple chemical changes, resulting in a variety of metabolites that are excreted in urine.
Journal of analytical toxicology
September 1, 1998
C Giroud, M Augsburger, L Rivier et al.
57 citations
Two sets of tablets from the Swiss black market were analyzed to identify 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine (2C-B) using multiple analytical methods including GC-MS, HPLC-DAD, CE-DAD, FTIR, and NMR. Only a combination of mass spectrometry and NMR provided unequivocal identification. Quantitation by HPLC-DAD and CE-DAD showed the tablets contained 3 to 8 mg of 2C-B, which is within the minimum amount needed to produce the drug's characteristic effects.
Journal of analytical toxicology
October 1, 2007
Maria Del Mar Ramirez Fernandez, Marleen Laloup, Michelle Wood et al.
47 citations
A method for simultaneously measuring multiple hallucinogens, chlorpheniramine, ketamine, ritalinic acid, and several metabolites in human urine was developed and validated. The procedure uses solid-phase extraction followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, with all drugs eluting within 14 minutes. Using 500 microliters of urine, limits of quantification ranged from 0.05 ng/mL for LSD to 10 ng/mL for other hallucinogens, with linear or quadratic regression from each compound's limit up to 500 ng/mL. Precision and accuracy were acceptable, and processed samples remained stable in the autosampler for at least 24 hours. The method was successfully applied to authentic urine samples containing chlorpheniramine, ketamine, LSD, and psilocin.
Journal of analytical toxicology
October 1, 1995
W L Hearn, J Pablo, G W Hime et al.
44 citations
A sensitive method was developed to measure ibogaine and its major metabolite, 12-hydroxy-ibogamine (noribogaine), in biological fluids and brain tissue. The metabolite was identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The procedure involves solvent extraction, derivatization with ethyl iodide, and cleanup before analysis. Detection limits were 5 ng/mL for both compounds, and quantitation limits ranged from 5 to 10 ng/mL across all tested matrices. Calibration curves were linear from 3 to 1000 ng/mL or ng/g.
Journal of analytical toxicology
June 1, 2019
Lorna A Nisbet, Fiona M Wylie, Barry K Logan et al.
40 citations
A validated gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method can simultaneously quantify 23 new psychoactive substances (NPSs) in blood and urine, including NBOMe compounds that are usually analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The method, which uses solid-phase extraction and derivatization, met SWGTOX guidelines for bias, precision, linearity, and stability. When applied to reanalyze 12 blood samples from eight cases where 25I-NBOMe, 25C-NBOMe, methoxetamine, and methylone had previously been detected, the method quantitatively detected these drugs in 75% of samples, with 42% containing either 25C-NBOMe or 25I-NBOMe. This approach offers a practical alternative for laboratories lacking specialized equipment.
Journal of analytical toxicology
September 1, 2013
L Nitin Seetohul, Derrick J Pounder
38 citations
Four deaths are associated with the new designer stimulant 5-(2-aminopropyl)indole (5-IT), an indole derivative first synthesized in 1962. In three cases, 5-IT was detected in femoral blood at concentrations ranging from 0.4 to 10 mg/L, often alongside other drugs such as MDMA, 6-APB, amphetamine, and methylone. One death was attributed solely to 5-IT toxicity; two deaths were attributed to toxic cocktail effects of multiple drugs; and one death was attributed to drug toxicity with an indeterminate role of epilepsy. A validated high-performance liquid chromatography method for quantitating 5-IT is also reported.
Journal of analytical toxicology
September 1, 2006
Violeta Kontrimaviciūte, Olivier Mathieu, Jean-Claude Mathieu-Daudé et al.
38 citations
In a 48-year-old Caucasian male with a history of drug abuse who died after ingesting root bark from the shrub Tabernanthe iboga, ibogaine and its main metabolite noribogaine were found in all examined tissues except cardiac tissue. The highest concentrations appeared in spleen, liver, brain, and lung. Tissue-to-blood concentration ratios for ibogaine averaged 1.78 in spleen, 3.75 in liver, 1.16 in brain, and 4.64 in lung; for noribogaine, the ratios were 0.83, 2.43, 0.90, and 2.69, respectively. Both substances crossed the blood-brain barrier and were secreted in bile. Very low concentrations occurred in prostatic tissue.
Journal of analytical toxicology
July 1, 2016
John J Kristofic, Jeffrey D Chmiel, George F Jackson et al.
34 citations
A 23-year-old Caucasian male died after being subdued by military law enforcement, having experienced severe respiratory distress. Autopsy revealed mild to moderate coronary atherosclerosis, biventricular dilation, mild right ventricular hypertrophy, and bilateral pulmonary edema and congestion. Blood contained no drugs or ethanol, but urine had pseudoephedrine, nicotine, and cotinine. A designer drug screen detected 25C-NBOMe, 25C-NBOH, and 2C-C in blood and urine. 25C-NBOMe concentrations were measured in blood (2.07 ng/mL), urine (27.43 ng/mL), and various organs. The medical examiner ruled the cause of death as 25C-NBOMe toxicity temporally associated with excited delirium and forcible restraint, manner accidental.
Journal of analytical toxicology
September 1, 2011
Sarah Kerrigan, Monica Brady Mellon, Stephanie Banuelos et al.
32 citations
Nine commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) used for routine drug screening fail to detect most psychedelic phenethylamines of the 2C, 2C-T, and DO series. Cross-reactivity for 10 of 11 tested designer drugs was below 0.4%, and even concentrations up to 50,000 ng/mL in urine—far above typical forensic levels—did not trigger a positive result. Only 4-methylthioamphetamine (4-MTA) showed measurable cross-reactivity, ranging from 5% to 200% depending on the assay. Laboratories relying solely on immunoassay screening may therefore miss these powerful psychedelic substances, whereas broad-spectrum chromatographic techniques can detect them.
Journal of analytical toxicology
October 1, 2017
Michelle Williams, Jennifer Martin, Peter Galettis
29 citations
A validated method detects 32 synthetic stimulant and hallucinogenic drugs, often sold as bath salts, in oral fluid. Using simple protein precipitation and a 7.5-minute chromatographic separation, the technique achieves detection limits of 1 ng/mL and quantitation from 2.5 to 500 ng/mL with high accuracy (85.3-108.4%) and precision (1.9-14%). Applied to 12 routine samples, two contained 2-CB and DOB (5 and 4 ng/mL) and MPBP and TFMPP (both 4 ng/mL). The method enables rapid screening of these compounds in oral fluid, applicable to routine testing laboratories.
Journal of analytical toxicology
October 1, 1996
R Kronstrand
27 citations
The psychoactive substance MBDB, a selective serotonin-releasing agent similar to MDMA (ecstasy), was identified in urine samples from ten people suspected of petty drug offenses in Sweden. MBDB concentrations ranged from 0.1 to 24 micrograms per milliliter. Its metabolite BDB was also detected. In seven of the ten samples, MBDB and BDB were the only ecstasy-type compounds present, though other drugs were found. This appears to be the first report of MBDB abuse in Sweden.
Journal of analytical toxicology
January 1, 2008
Pamela C Mcdonough, Justin M Holler, Shawn P Vorce et al.
24 citations
A new analytical method using solid-phase extraction with liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry accurately detects and quantifies the psychoactive compound salvinorin A in human blood and urine. The method reliably measures concentrations between 5.0 and 100 ng/mL, with a detection limit of 2.5 ng/mL and a quantitation limit of 5.0 ng/mL. It provides a robust tool for forensic toxicology to identify salvinorin A in biological fluids, addressing the lack of published methods and supporting research on the compound's health effects and pharmacokinetics.
Journal of analytical toxicology
January 1, 2017
Adrian Stoller, Patrick C Dolder, Michael Bodmer et al.
19 citations
A 19-year-old male was admitted to the emergency department with severe hallucinations, dilated pupils, rapid heart rate, agitation, and confusion after using a substance sold as 2C-B. Laboratory analysis using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry detected the more potent synthetic phenethylamine derivative 2C-P instead. Based on two blood samples, the estimated elimination half-life was 19 hours. The case illustrates how small structural variations in the 4 position of the phenyl ring, such as a propyl group in 2C-P versus bromine in 2C-B, can lead to significant differences in drug potency and duration of action, contributing to adverse effects.
Journal of analytical toxicology
September 1, 2011
Sarah Kerrigan, Stephanie Banuelos, Laura Perrella et al.
19 citations
A gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method was developed to detect ten psychedelic phenethylamines (2C-B, 2C-H, 2C-I, 2C-T-2, 2C-T-7, 4-MTA, DOB, DOET, DOI, and DOM) in urine. After solid-phase extraction, limits of detection ranged from 2 to 10 ng/mL, and limits of quantitation were 10 ng/mL or less. Precision at 50 and 500 ng/mL gave coefficients of variation of 0.4–7.9%, and accuracy was 91–116%. Calibration curves were linear up to 1500 ng/mL. No carryover occurred at 5000 ng/mL, and no interferences from related compounds or endogenous bases were observed.
Journal of analytical toxicology
October 1, 1995
M E Alburges, R L Foltz, D E Moody
19 citations
A new method was developed to measure ibogaine and its active metabolite, 12-hydroxy-ibogamine, in human plasma. The assay uses a one-step extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, achieving accurate measurements from 10 to 1000 ng/mL. Ibogaine and its metabolite remained stable in plasma for at least one week at room temperature. The method provides a reliable tool for studying ibogaine's potential in treating addiction.
Journal of analytical toxicology
September 17, 2021
Elba Arango, Allison Toriello, Zoila Rosario et al.
17 citations
Ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic with expanding medical uses for pain and depression, continues to be misused as a recreational drug. A retrospective analysis of New York City driver fatalities (2003-2020) and suspected driving-under-the-influence-of-drugs (DUID) cases (2015-2020) found ketamine in 6 fatalities and 47 DUID cases. None of the fatalities involved misuse; all had hospital or EMS administration. Among DUID cases, ketamine was always non-medical, with an increasing trend over the six years. Most DUID cases were male (94%), aged 21–39 (85%), and predominantly Hispanic (36%) or Asian (34%). Blood concentrations varied widely (27 to >2000 ng/mL), and polydrug use was common, especially cannabinoids (38%) and ethanol (32%). A novel ketamine analog appeared in 2019. Ongoing monitoring by toxicological, clinical, and law enforcement communities is warranted.
Journal of analytical toxicology
June 11, 2024
Juliana Ribeiro Ibiapina Leitão Oliveira, Leonardo Costalonga Rodrigues, Júlia Martinelli Magalhães Kahl et al.
13 citations
A new analytical method using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was developed to detect ketamine, its metabolites norketamine and 6-hydroxy-norketamine, and its analogues deschloroketamine and 2-fluorodeschloroketamine in oral fluid. The method showed linearity from 10 to 1,000 ng/mL, with detection and quantification limits at 10 ng/mL. Imprecision and bias were below 8.2% and 9.5%, respectively, and matrix effects did not exceed 10.6%. Recovery ranged from 24% to 42%. The method was applied to 29 authentic oral fluid samples and evaluated as environmentally friendly by three green chemistry metrics.
Journal of analytical toxicology
May 20, 2022
Hannes M Schwelm, Nicole Zimmermann, Tobias Scholl et al.
13 citations
The poison of the Colorado River toad (Incilius alvarius) contains a variety of psychoactive tryptamines, with 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) as the main component at an average concentration of 410,000 μg per gram of poison. Using multiple analytical methods, researchers identified nine tryptamine compounds, including 5-MeO-tryptamine and two positional isomers of hydroxylated MeO-DMT detected for the first time in this species. Concentrations of other tryptamines such as bufotenin (2,800 μg/g), 5-MeO-tryptamine (490 μg/g), 5-HO-N-methyltryptamine (270 μg/g), and DMT (250 μg/g) varied considerably between individual toad samples. These comprehensive reference data may assist forensic chemists in analyzing toad venom samples.
Journal of analytical toxicology
February 14, 2022
J M Matey, Adrián López-fernández, Carmen García-ruiz et al.
13 citations
Analyzing hair and other biological samples for drugs like methoxetamine requires highly selective and sensitive methods. Traditional target analysis using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry can be complex and less sensitive. Reanalyzing samples from a former case of a polydrug consumer in Spain, five metabolites of methoxetamine were tentatively detected using liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HR-MS-MS). This method, combined with simpler pretreatment, allowed faster and more sensitive analysis than the traditional approach, demonstrating its utility for detecting low concentrations of new psychoactive substances.