Journal of Forensic Sciences
May 1, 1998
John de Kanel, W E Vickery, B Waldner et al.
22 citations
A fully automated solid-phase extraction method using the Zymark RapidTrace™ followed by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) can quantify lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and confirm its metabolite N-demethyl-LSD in blood, serum, plasma, and urine. LSD quantitation uses an internal standard (LSD-d3). The limit of quantitation for LSD is 0.05 ng/mL, and the limit of detection for both LSD and its metabolite is 0.025 ng/mL. Recovery of LSD exceeds 95% at 0.1 and 2.0 ng/mL. At 1.0 ng/mL LSD, within-run relative standard deviation is 2.2% and between-run is 4.4%.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
October 1, 1980
Bm Thomson
22 citations
A method using reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography separates and measures psilocybin and psilocin in dry and preserved mushrooms. A mobile phase of phosphate buffered methanol, water, and cetrimonium bromide effectively resolves the two hallucinogens.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
October 1, 1983
Sm Sottolano, Ira S. Lurie
21 citations
A method using high-performance liquid chromatography with a specific mobile phase and column enables rapid, selective, and accurate measurement of psilocybin in dried mushroom material. A simple one-step extraction process recovers psilocybin in under 60 minutes. The ratio of absorbance at 267 to 254 nanometers is used to verify the purity of the psilocybin peak.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
January 1, 2014
Sarah Kerrigan, Ashley Mott, Breanna Jatzlau et al.
20 citations
A new laboratory method using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) can detect 15 designer psychostimulants in urine at very low concentrations. The drugs include various 2C-phenethylamines, DOx amphetamines, and 4-MTA. Using solid-phase extraction, analytical recoveries ranged from 64% to 92%, and the limit of detection was 0.5 ng/mL for all drugs except 2C-B (1 ng/mL). The technique was evaluated for recovery, precision, accuracy, linearity, matrix effects, and interferences, enabling simultaneous detection of these substances at sub-ng/mL levels. Many such drugs are not targeted in routine toxicology testing and thus go unreported.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
January 1, 2013
Tatsuyuki Kanamori, Kyoko Nagasawa, Kenji Kuwayama et al.
20 citations
The main breakdown product of the hallucinogenic drug 2C-B in human urine is 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenylacetic acid, accounting for 73% of detected metabolites. Two other metabolites, 4-bromo-2-hydroxy-5-methoxyphenylacetic acid and 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenylethyl alcohol, made up 13% and 4.5% respectively. In contrast, the primary metabolites reported in rat urine were different compounds and appeared only in small amounts in humans, indicating species-specific differences in how 2C-B is processed. The most abundant human metabolite likely forms through deamination by monoamine oxidase (MAO) followed by oxidation, suggesting MAO plays a crucial role in human 2C-B metabolism.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
January 1, 1985
Jf Casale
20 citations
A straightforward water-based extraction method isolates and identifies psilocin from Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms. The process dephosphorylates the phosphate ester into psilocin, increasing product yield and simplifying identification. The extracted psilocin is concentrated enough and free of co-contaminants for analysis by infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
May 1, 2000
S K Gross
17 citations
Psilocybin and psilocyn, the psychoactive compounds in mushrooms, can first be detected at the mycelium knot stage of development. Psilocybe cyanescens mushrooms were grown from spores under controlled conditions, and samples taken at different developmental stages were analyzed using TLC and GC/MS. Light influenced the timing of development and the mushrooms' appearance but did not affect the earliest detection stage. These findings may assist law enforcement and forensic chemists in identifying psychoactive mushrooms at earlier growth stages.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
January 1, 1984
Dt Stafford, Hs Nichols, Wh Anderson
13 citations
A routine, time-efficient method using methyl silicone fused silica capillary columns separates lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) from lysergic acid methylpropylamide (LAMPA) for forensic drug analysis. The capillary system's efficiency and the inertness of the fused silica column and injection port liner provide a powerful and flexible solution to the common courtroom question of how to distinguish the two compounds.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
September 1, 2020
Tehila Mishraki-Berkowitz, Esti Kochelski, Pierce V. Kavanagh et al.
12 citations
Psilocin and bufotenine are naturally occurring controlled substances, while two other isomers (6-HO-DMT and 7-HO-DMT) are not classified as controlled substances. The four isomers were synthesized and analyzed using thin layer chromatography, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and gas chromatography mass spectroscopy. The methods successfully differentiated all four isomers. Analysis of forensic specimens suspected to be psilocybe mushrooms confirmed that psilocin can be unequivocally identified and its other isomers ruled out, providing accurate identification for forensic investigations.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
November 1, 2019
Antoinette S Spoelder, Jan K G Louwerens, Stefanie D Krens et al.
12 citations
Ingestion of the designer drug 2C-B by an 18-year-old man led to severe neurological consequences, including serotonin syndrome and severe brain edema. Although supportive therapy stabilized his condition, the patient suffered lasting severe neurological impairment months later. Routine drug screening in Dutch hospitals failed to detect 2C-B, highlighting a gap in identification. The case demonstrates that 2C-B carries risks of profound neurological damage that both users and healthcare providers may not recognize.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
May 1, 1989
Cc Clark
12 citations
Six amide variants of lysergic acid were synthesized to test whether electron impact mass spectroscopy (EI/MS), combined with other analytical methods, can reliably distinguish lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) from similar compounds. The C8 axial and equatorial isomers were separated by preparative thin-layer chromatography, then analyzed using gas-liquid chromatography, thin-layer chromatography, high pressure liquid chromatography, and EI/MS. The combination of EI/MS with these other techniques successfully differentiated LSD from all other amides tested.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
July 1, 1987
M. Japp, R. Gill, M. David Osselton
12 citations
Capillary gas chromatography with nonpolar bonded phase columns effectively separates lysergide (LSD) from related ergot alkaloids and its isomer lysergic acid methylpropylamide (LAMPA), providing retention indices for several ergot alkaloids. The method proved applicable to analyzing illicit LSD preparations, demonstrated by extracts from microdot tablets, card, and paper squares. In contrast, the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) systems tested could not achieve baseline resolution between LSD and LAMPA.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
September 1, 2011
Tatsuyuki Kanamori, Kenji Kuwayama, Kenji Tsujikawa et al.
10 citations
After oral administration to rats, the drug 2C-I is broken down into several metabolites through O-demethylation, N-acetylation, and deamination followed by oxidation to carboxylic acid. Five of these metabolites were synthesized in the lab and identified using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The findings will aid forensic analysis of 2C-I and its metabolites in biological samples.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
November 1, 2002
Stefanie Groß
10 citations
Psilocyn and psilocybin are detectable in various developmental stages of psilocybe mushrooms, a finding useful for analyzing evidence from illicit mushroom cultivation operations. Three separate cases submitted to a forensic laboratory each contained mushrooms at different growth stages. This report details the evidence, sample preparation, analysis, and final reporting for each case.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
May 1, 1994
Sd Kilmer
10 citations
A simplified extraction technique for analyzing LSD using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is described. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Forensic Laboratory tested two cases: one with four sugar cubes and another with seven food coloring bottles containing liquid. Using this extraction method, both cases were confirmed as LSD by GC/MS and quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
Journal of Forensic Sciences
October 1, 1982
Jm Bowen, Ha Mcmorrow, N Purdie
9 citations
A method using circular dichroism spectropolarimetry can directly measure D-lysergic acid diethylamide in confiscated samples without separating the drug from the specimen. The technique detects as little as about 2 micrograms.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
July 1, 1985
Re Lee
8 citations
A method enables rapid isolation and identification of psilocin from mushrooms that contain psilocin and psilocybin. The technique exploits differences in solubility in butyl chloride between psilocin and other mushroom constituents, allowing psilocin to be separated in pure form easily.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
May 1, 2023
Shu-Hua Zhang, Angeline S Y Tang, Reenie S L Chin et al.
7 citations
Blotter papers once carried only LSD, but now contain related lysergamides such as ALD-52 and 1P-LSD. When these papers are analyzed by solvent extraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, the solvent choice matters: methanol and ethanol cause ALD-52 to convert into LSD during analysis, while isopropyl alcohol prevents that conversion. The hydrolysis happens at the GC injector port and is more pronounced at lower concentrations (0.1 mg/mL). 1P-LSD also hydrolyzes to LSD, but is more stable than ALD-52 because its propanoyl group provides steric hindrance.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
March 1, 2025
Arianna Giorgetti, Susan Mohamed, Filippo Pirani et al.
6 citations
Among 88 people diagnosed with substance use disorder at an addiction treatment service in Bologna, Italy, hair analysis showed that 95.5% tested positive for at least one substance. Of those, 88.1% had only traditional drugs of abuse, while 11.9% also had new psychoactive substances (NPS). Polydrug use was common: 67.9% of positive samples contained more than two drugs. Combining traditional drugs with NPS was more frequent in younger patients (under 21–30 years old). Ketamine appeared in 8.0% of all samples, often alongside cocaine (85.7% of cases). Fentanyl was detected in 3.4% of samples. Among NPS, only buphedrone was found. NPS consumption was relatively low in this group, but the high rate of polydrug and ketamine-cocaine use warrants monitoring.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
December 22, 2023
Munchelou M Gomonit, Britni N Skillman, Madeleine J. Swortwood
6 citations
Psilocybin, a prodrug found in magic mushrooms, is converted in the body to psilocin, the compound responsible for cognitive effects. Existing methods to measure psilocin in plasma, serum, or urine may yield misleading pharmacokinetic data because the blood-to-plasma ratio is unknown. This work developed the first analytical method using solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry to quantify psilocin in human whole blood. The procedure achieved high recovery (≥89%) with minimal matrix effects, validated per ANSI/ASB 036 guidelines. Linearity ranged from 0.7 to 200 ng/mL, covering previously reported plasma levels. Psilocin was stable at 4°C for 48 hours. The method successfully detected and quantified psilocin at low limits in whole blood, though a proof-of-concept study is still needed.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
July 1, 1991
Ha Harris, T Kane
5 citations
A method for identifying lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in seized microgram quantities produces small pure crystals suitable for analysis with a microscope sampling device and Fourier transform infrared (FT/IR) spectrometer. The technique yields excellent spectra from samples containing less than 50 µg of LSD and can distinguish LSD from iso-LSD and lysergic acid N-methylpropylamide (LAMPA). The approach combines preparative thin-layer chromatography with wick evaporation, an older technique for separating soluble components from high-solid mixtures without filtration.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
July 1, 2024
Ananda da Silva Antonio, Gleicielle Tozzi Wurzler, Cecília de Andrade Bhering et al.
4 citations
Chemical profiles of ecstasy tablets seized in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, between 2012 and 2021 reveal MDMA and clobenzorex as the main active ingredients, with less common occurrences of MDA, MDEA, and 2C-B. A total of 27 combinations of cutting agents, including caffeine, ephedrine, and anesthetics, were identified. The occurrence of mega-events in the region altered the chemical fingerprints of the tablets. Samples containing clobenzorex appeared throughout the period in areas near highways, suggesting use primarily by truck drivers. These findings can assist police intelligence in anticipating illicit market changes during major events and identifying trafficking routes.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
March 1, 2017
Tatsuyuki Kanamori, Tadashi Yamamuro, Kenji Kuwayama et al.
4 citations
Two glucuronic acid-conjugated metabolites of the psychoactive phenethylamine 2C-B were chemically synthesized for the first time, and a method to analyze them in urine was developed. The β-D-glucuronide of 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenylethylalcohol was synthesized using a glucuronyl donor and a Lewis acid catalyst; the β-D-glucuronide of 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenylacetic acid was produced by condensation followed by catalytic hydrogenation. Direct liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry of diluted urine allowed qualitative and semiquantitative evaluation of these metabolites. The simple method is expected to aid studies of 2C-B's metabolic fate.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
May 1, 2025
Diane M Moore, Alexander D Giachetti, M Elizabeth Zaney et al.
3 citations
Between September 2020 and July 2024, eight deaths in Miami-Dade County involved ingestion of colored powders called "tusi," "tucibi," or "pink cocaine." Fourteen powders, mostly pink with sweet or fruity aromas, were analyzed. Ketamine appeared in all powders, most also contained MDMA, and some included cocaine, opioids, benzodiazepines, or synthetic cathinones; none contained fentanyl or 2C-B. Five deaths were accidental (four drug overdoses, one fall), and three were suicides. All decedents had multiple drugs in their blood. Peripheral blood ketamine concentrations ranged from 0.38 to 8.8 mg/L, and MDMA from 0.10 to 3.0 mg/L. These cases illustrate the variable drug composition of "tusi" powders and their role in medicolegal death investigation.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
May 1, 2025
Munchelou M Gomonit, Madeleine J. Swortwood, Michael T Truver et al.
3 citations
Ayahuasca's primary psychedelic alkaloid, N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), is rapidly metabolized: oxidative deamination yields indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) as the main metabolite, and N-oxidation produces N,N-dimethyltryptamine-N-oxide (DMT-NO) as the second most abundant. A validated LC-MS/MS method quantified DMT, IAA, and DMT-NO in human plasma and DMT and DMT-NO in urine with high recovery (≥91%), low bias (±17.5%), and good precision (≤6.4%). In a proof-of-concept study using paired blood and urine samples, DMT and DMT-NO concentrations were higher in urine than plasma, reflecting rapid clearance. DMT and DMT-NO are proposed as direct biomarkers for exogenous DMT consumption; IAA should not be the sole biomarker due to its substantial endogenous presence.