Forensic Science International
March 20, 2011
Martin M Schmidt, Akhilesh Sharma, Fabrizio Schifano et al.
198 citations
A vast array of substances are marketed as "legal highs" in the UK. These products are mainly marketed online and are packaged and produced to mimic illicit drugs. Little is known about the full range of products available at present and no studies have evaluated the product information provided to consumers. AIMS & HYPOTHESIS: To describe the available legal high products marketed by UK-based...
Forensic Science International
July 1, 2009
Chris Kostakis, Roger W Byard
56 citations
A 24-year-old male died suddenly following the intravenous injection of what was believed to be the ring-derivate amphetamine 'ecstasy' (MDMA). Toxicological analyses of the victim's blood and the injected material, however, failed to reveal MDMA, but showed instead low levels of bufotenine, a tryptamine derivative alkaloid found in the secretions of various toads. In addition, resibufogenin,...
Forensic Science International
March 10, 2009
Jochen Beyer, Olaf H Drummer, Hans H Maurer
118 citations
Many plants contain toxic alkaloids which may be dangerous to humans. Despite the large number of poisonous plants, cases of fatal plant poisonings are relatively rare. The frequencies of poisonings and the plants involved are often regionally specific. Plant poisonings can be aggregated into three categories: unintended ingestions, intended ingestions, and poisoning due to abuse of plant...
Forensic Science International
August 6, 2008
Giampietro Frison, Donata Favretto, Flavio Zancanaro et al.
Beta-carboline alkaloids harmine, harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine can stimulate the central nervous system by inhibiting the metabolism of amine neurotransmitters, or by direct interaction with specific receptors; they are found in numerous plants, including Peganum harmala, Passiflora incarnata and Banisteriopsis caapi, and in the entheogen preparation Ayahuasca, which is traditionally brewed...
Forensic Science International
July 4, 2008
Simon D. Brandt, Cláudia P.B. Martins, Sally Freeman et al.
10 citations
The psychoactive properties of N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) 1a are known to induce altered states of consciousness in humans. This particular attribute attracts great interest from a variety of scientific and also clandestine communities. Our recent research has confirmed that DMT reacts with dichloromethane (DCM), either as a result of work-up or storage to give a quaternary N-chloromethyl...
Forensic Science International
December 20, 2006
Kenji Tsujikawa, Hiroyuki Mohri, Kenji Kuwayama et al.
51 citations
The constituents of seven mushrooms sold as Amanita muscaria or Amanita pantherina (five A. muscaria and two A. pantherina) and four "extracts purported to contain A. muscaria" products that are currently circulated in Japan were determined. All mushroom samples were identified as A. muscaria or A. pantherina by macroscopic and microscopic observation. The dissociative constituents, ibotenic...
Forensic Science International
March 10, 2005
Tatsuyuki Kanamori, Kenji Tsujikawa, Y Ohmae et al.
The metabolism of methamphetamine (MA) and 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine (2C-B) in freshly isolated rat hepatocytes was investigated, and compared with in vivo results. A suspended hepatocyte culture, established from male Wistar rats using a collagenase perfusion technique, was incubated in the presence of MA or 2C-B. After enzymatic hydrolysis of the conjugated forms, the metabolites...
Forensic Science International
February 10, 2005
John M Wilson, Frank Mcgeorge, Susan C. Smolinske et al.
119 citations
Foxy is the colloquial name for the hallucinogen 5-ethoxy-diisopropyltryptamine (5-MeO-DIPT). A non-fatality involving a 23-year-old Caucasian man who ingested a capsule containing 5-MeO-DIPT is described. He presented to the Emergency Department, not with visual nor auditory hallucinations but with sensory hallucinations, that of formication and paranoia. He was observed and given supportive...
Forensic Science International
December 17, 2003
Kenji Tsujikawa, Tatsuyuki Kanamori, Yuko T Iwata et al.
79 citations
Morphological and toxicological analyses were performed on hallucinogenic mushrooms that are currently circulated in Japan. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) indicated a three-dimensional microstructures in the mushrooms. The complementary use of SEM with an optical microscope was effective for observing characteristic tissues, such as basidiomycetes, spores, cystidia and basidia....
Forensic Science International
September 11, 2000
Frank Mußhoff, Burkhard Madea, J Beike
76 citations
'Magic mushrooms' is the name most commonly given to psychoactive fungi containing the hallucinogenic components psilocybin and psilocin. Material confiscated by local authorities was examined using morphologic, microscopic, microchemical, and toxicological methods. Psilocybe cubensis was the most popular mushroom in the sample collective, followed by Psilocybe semilanceata, Panaeolus...
Forensic Science International
August 14, 2000
Christian Giroud, F Felber, Marc Augsburger et al.
70 citations
Salvia divinorum Epling & Jativa is an hallucinogenic mint traditionally used for curing and divination by the Mazatec Indians of Oaxaca, Mexico. Young people from Mexican cities were reported to smoke dried leaves of S. divinorum as a marijuana substitute. Recently, two S. divinorum specimens were seized in a large-scale illicit in-door and out-door hemp plantation. Salvinorin A also called...
Forensic Science International
1999
Thomas Keller, Andrea Schneider, Priska Regenscheit et al.
50 citations
A new method has been developed for the rapid analysis of psilocybin and/or psilocin in fungus material using ion mobility spectrometry. Quantitative analysis was performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry after a simple one-step extraction involving homogenization of the dried fruit bodies of fungi in chloroform and derivatization with MSTFA. The proposed methods resulted in rapid...