Abstract A man in his early twenties had been hospitalized due to acute nitrous oxide intoxication, during which a vitamin B12 deficiency and anaemia were also diagnosed. Two weeks later he was found dead in his apartment. Twenty empty nitrous oxide cartridges were found next to the body, and according to his mother, he had been using nitrous oxide excessively for approximately two months. The...
The Lophophora genus of the Cactaceae family includes Lophophora diffusa and Lophophora williamsii, which has traditionally been used as a natural analgesic; however, its use is now under strict regulation worldwide as it contains mescaline, a unique psychotropic agent. Recently, non-medical and illegal distribution and abuse of L. williamsii have increased worldwide; thus, effective species...
Over the past few years, the new psychoactive substances' phenomenon has been continuously studied. Its dynamic context is characterized by a broad diversity of substances, including several groups, such as synthetic cathinones, synthetic opiates, and synthetic cannabinoids. However, and due both to this diversity and to the low number of detected cases, information on intoxication reports is...
The abuse of new psychoactive substances (NPS) has been dramatically increasing all around the world since the late 2000s. The availability of hundreds of NPS in the past decade is challenging for both public health and global drug policies. A 39-year-old woman, known as a multidrug addict, was murdered by her partner by ligature strangulation. A comprehensive toxicological screening by gas...
Reports of intoxications with new psychoactive substances (NPS) mostly involve young people, as they are the main consumers of these types of drugs. This report centers on a case that was unusual due to it being a mass-poisoning event involving middle-aged individuals who had consumed a combination of the two different new psychoactive drugs 2,5-dimethoxy-4-ethylphenethylamine (2C-E) and...
Methoxydiphenidine (MXP) was first reported in 1989 as a dissociative anesthetic but did not enter the market for pharmaceuticals. The substance re-appeared in 2013 as a new psychoactive substance. A case of driving under the influence of MXP is reported. The concentration of MXP has been determined from a serum sample (57 ng/mL) by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry following...
In France, the term chemical or drug-assisted submission is usually defined as the rendering of a person vulnerable by the surreptitious administration of an active substance with the purpose of prejudicing the person or his/her possessions. If the harm is sexual assault, establishing the victim's submission involves both proving that a dangerous substance was administered, providing material...
Experimental and clinical data indicate that 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine (MDMA) abuse can produce significant cardiovascular toxicity. A mechanism may be a direct toxic effect of redox active metabolites of MDMA. To evaluate the effect of a single MDMA dose on cellular antioxidant defence system and to investigate the morphology in male albino rats, total glutathione (GSH), oxidised...
The use of phenethylamines in the dance scene is now well established. Apart from amphetamine, the commonest phenethylamine encountered in clinical and forensic settings is 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) commonly known as ecstasy. Other phenethylamines, which have similar effects are encountered, such as 3,4-methylenedioxyethylamphetamine (MDEA) and their use has resulted in death. We...
In 1996 samples of suspicious honey preparations were confiscated at the Dutch-German border. The labels on the 50 ml jars indicated that the honey contained Stropharia cubensis (better known as Psilocybe cubensis). The jars were filled with honey with a ca. 1 cm layer of fine particles on the top. The particles were collected and subjected to microscopic and chemical analysis. By microscopy...
The first observation of lethal recreational use of MDMA (ecstasy) and MDEA in Italy is reported, together with extensive toxicological and histopathological documentation. Findings such as disseminated intravascular coagulation, rarely reported before, are colocated in the framework of the toxic syndrome for a better definition of criteria for forensic diagnosis.
In this paper the isolation and identification of 12 compounds as impurities in illicit 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is reported. Isolation of these substances is performed by preparative TLC, while identification is performed by using mass spectrometry and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. A simple and rapid method for detection of these impurities in...