Talanta
July 22, 2014
Daniele Merli, Daniele Zamboni, Stefano Protti et al.
36 citations
A simple and accurate method for measuring lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in biological samples uses adsorptive stripping voltammetry in DMF/tetrabutylammonium perchlorate. The method detects LSD at very low concentrations, with a linear range of 1-90 ng L(-1) for 50-second deposition times, a limit of detection of 1.4 ng L(-1), and a limit of quantification of 4.3 ng L(-1). It can be applied to biological samples after a simple extraction with 1-chlorobutane, enabling routine analysis of LSD, which is otherwise difficult to detect due to its low active dose.
Talanta
January 7, 2005
Kimie Saito, Toshimasa Toyo’oka, Masaru Kato et al.
35 citations
A new method for measuring psilocybin in mushrooms uses high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Psilocybin is chemically tagged with a fluorescent label at 60°C for 4 hours, then separated on a specialized column and detected at specific wavelengths. The method can detect as little as 4.4 nanograms of psilocybin per milligram of dried mushroom. Tests on six magic mushroom samples found psilocybin levels below 20.0 nanograms per milligram of dried material. The approach offers a sensitive way to quantify psilocybin in real samples.
Talanta
January 15, 2008
Bo-Hong Chen, Ju-Tsung Liu, Wen-Xiong Chen et al.
32 citations
Mass spectrometry methods—GC-EI/MS, LC-ESI/MS, and MALDI/TOFMS—were compared for analyzing 13 tryptamine and phenethylamine compounds, including AMT, DMT, 5-MeO-AMT, DET, DPT, DBT, DIPT, 5-MeO-DMT, 5-MeO-DIPT, methamphetamine, 3,4-MDA, 3,4-MDMA, and MBDB. Parent ions were difficult to obtain by GC/MS, but protonated molecular ions were clearly observed by ESI/MS and MALDI/TOFMS. Two major characteristic fragmentations occurred: alpha-cleavage (producing [3-vinylindole]+) and beta-cleavage (producing [CH2N(+)R(N1)R(N2)]). With ESI, alpha-cleavage was the major process; with MALDI, beta-cleavage dominated. The ionization efficiency and fragments from either cleavage depended on the degree of alkylation of the side chain nitrogen.
Talanta
February 17, 2005
Nicole Anastos, Neil W. Barnett, Simon W. Lewis et al.
32 citations
A new method using flow injection analysis with acidic potassium permanganate and tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) chemiluminescence can detect psilocin and psilocybin at very low concentrations—limits of detection are 9×10⁻¹⁰ M for psilocin and 3×10⁻¹⁰ M for psilocybin. The technique is simple, rapid, and sensitive. The paper also describes a concise three-step synthetic route for psilocin from readily available starting materials, with structures confirmed by spectroscopic data.
Talanta
February 1, 2013
Alain Gaujac, Nicola M. Dempster, Sandro Navickiene et al.
29 citations
A method using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) combined with gas chromatography ion trap mass spectrometry (GC-IT-MS) reliably detects and measures N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) in ayahuasca and vinho da jurema, plant-based beverages used in South American religious ceremonies. The technique, optimized with a PDMS/DVB fiber at 60°C for 70 minutes, achieves good precision (relative standard deviation below 8.6%), accuracy (71–109%), and a detection limit of 0.78 mg/L. Analysis of twelve real samples from Brazilian religious groups found DMT concentrations ranging from 0.10 to 1.81 g/L. The method minimizes sample handling and is robust for quantifying DMT in these increasingly globally available beverages.
Talanta
October 1, 2018
Achim T Caspar, Markus R Meyer, Folker Westphal et al.
17 citations
Two new hallucinogens, 3,4-DMA-NBOMe and 4-MMA-NBOMe, are extensively metabolized in rats and human liver preparations. Using nano liquid chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry, 38 metabolites of 3,4-DMA-NBOMe and 33 metabolites of 4-MMA-NBOMe were identified. The main metabolic pathways are O-demethylation and glucuronic acid conjugation for 3,4-DMA-NBOMe, and oxidation of the tolyl group to carboxylic acid for 4-MMA-NBOMe. The nanoLC approach performed comparably to conventional UHPLC. Standard urine screening methods could detect an estimated low user dose only through metabolites. Suggested screening targets include O-demethyl- and O,O-bis-demethyl-3,4-DMA-NBOMe and their glucuronides, and carboxy-4-MMA-NBOMe and its glucuronide and N-demethyl-carboxy-4-MMA-NBOMe.
Talanta
December 9, 2020
Gabriela de Oliveira Silveira, Felipe Rebello Lourenço, Ana Miguel Fonseca Pego et al.
15 citations
A novel approach using chromatography achieved a 95% accuracy rate in analyzing human plasma for psychedelics. In a factorial experiment with 150 samples, the box–Behnken design optimized solvent use, enhancing detection capabilities in forensic toxicology and drug analysis. This innovative method significantly improves analytical chemistry practices, ensuring reliable results in drug studies. The findings underscore the potential of advanced chromatographic techniques to refine how substances are identified and quantified, paving the way for more effective applications in both clinical and legal contexts.
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.
Talanta
August 15, 2024
Larissa M A Melo, Lucas V de Faria, Luciano C Arantes et al.
8 citations
A fully 3D-printed electrochemical double cell (3D-EDC) allows selective detection of LSD and two phenethylamine classes (NBOHs and NBOMes) in seized blotter papers. The system can use two working electrodes (boron-doped diamond and 3D-printed graphite) or two pH levels (4.0 and 12.0) with a graphite electrode, enabling fast, robust, and sensitive analysis. The method shows good stability (relative standard deviation <9% for current and <5% for potential), a broad linear range (20-100 and 20-70 μmol L⁻¹), and a low limit of detection (1.0 μmol L⁻¹) for LSD quantification. This provides a practical, cost-effective on-site screening tool for forensic analysis.
Talanta
March 1, 2026
Camila D Lima, Lara L Machado, Luciano C Arantes et al.
1 citation
A portable electrochemical method using screen-printed carbon graphite electrodes and differential pulse voltammetry can selectively detect ketamine in forensic samples. Ketamine shows two oxidation peaks and, for the first time, three distinct reduction processes, two of which allow reliable differentiation from other drugs like MDMA, MDA, amphetamine, methamphetamine, and cocaine. The method is highly reproducible, with relative standard deviations below 3.0% for peak currents and below 1.0% for peak potentials. Detection limits are 0.5 μmol L-1 for oxidation and 4.5 μmol L-1 for reduction. It successfully detects ketamine in UNODC-certified reference material and seized street samples, making it suitable for portable screening.
Talanta
January 27, 2026
Fabiana Pereira Santos, Beatriz Aparecida Passos Bismara Paranhos, Thaisa Meira Sandini et al.
A greener analytical method using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and LC-MS/MS was developed to measure N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and three β-carbolines (harmine, harmaline, tetrahydroharmine) in human hair. The method was sensitive, with limits of quantification from 3 to 8 pg/mg, and linear up to 1000 pg/mg. Recovery was low (36-58%), but selectivity showed no interference. Applied to six real samples, DMT concentrations ranged from 21.5 to 204.4 pg/mg, while β-carbolines were generally higher, with harmine reaching over 1000 pg/mg. The method uses less organic solvent than conventional hair extraction, advancing green analytical toxicology for psychoactive alkaloids.