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.
The International journal on drug policy
October 1, 2017
Joseph J Palamar, Alberto Salomone, Enrico Gerace et al.
Hair testing of 90 self-reported past-year ecstasy users attending electronic dance music parties in New York City in 2016 revealed that three quarters tested positive for MDMA, a third tested positive for a new psychoactive substance (NPS), and over a quarter tested positive for synthetic cathinones. Half of participants tested positive for a drug they did not self-report, most commonly synthetic cathinones, methamphetamine, other NPS stimulants, or new dissociatives. Attending parties every other week or more often, higher-frequency ecstasy pill use, having tested one's ecstasy, and having found out one's ecstasy was adulterated were risk factors for testing positive for synthetic cathinones and NPS. Hair testing provides valuable data on unknown drug use in high-risk scenes.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
July 1, 2017
Enrico Gerace, Elena Bovetto, Daniele Di Corcia et al.
Diphenidine, a dissociative drug, can cause euphoria, hallucinations, and anterograde amnesia. A 30-year-old man was hospitalized in a confused and agitated state after taking it. He had a rapid heart rate, small pupils, and elevated body temperature and breathing rate. Diphenidine was found in his plasma at 308 ng/mL and urine at 631 ng/mL; methylphenidate and diclazepam were also present. His symptoms resolved with symptomatic treatment. The case indicates acute intoxication from recreational diphenidine abuse.
Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry
March 1, 2016
Alberto Salomone, Giulia Gazzilli, Daniele Di Corcia et al.
A new laboratory method using UHPLC-MS/MS can detect 31 stimulant, psychedelic, and dissociative drugs in hair samples. The method is simple, fast, and sensitive, with detection limits ranging from 1.8 to 35 pg/mg. When applied to 77 real hair samples—23 from known MDMA and ketamine users and 54 from routine driver's license screenings—six samples tested positive for at least one new psychoactive substance. Methoxetamine appeared in three cases (7.7–27 pg/mg), mephedrone in two (50–59 pg/mg), and methylone in one (28 pg/mg). Other detected drugs included 4-MEC, α-PVP, 4-FA, MDPV, and diphenidine, confirming the growing spread of stimulant designer drugs among poly-drug users.