Yakugaku zasshi : Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan
August 1, 2009
Ruri Kikura-Hanajiri, Takuro Maruyama, Akinori Miyashita et al.
15 citations
Products sold as Voacanga africana, a tree whose bark and seeds contain psychoactive alkaloids, fall into two chemical types: ibogaine-type (0.05–0.6% ibogaine plus voacamine, voacamidine, and voacangine) and tabersonine-type (0.6–1.6% tabersonine). DNA analysis of the chloroplast trnL-F region showed most products came from V. africana or closely related plants, with four distinct genotypes. The study developed a simultaneous LC/MS method to quantify these alkaloids and used DNA barcoding to verify botanical origins, providing tools to monitor the distribution of this non-controlled psychotropic plant.
Yakugaku zasshi : Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan
January 1, 2008
Takuro Maruyama, Hiroyuki Kamakura, Ruri Kikura-Hanajiri et al.
14 citations
Before Salvia divinorum was regulated under Japan's Pharmaceutical Affairs Law, commercial Salvia cultivars sold in Japan were tested for the hallucinogen salvinorin A. Ultra performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry showed that none of the cultivars contained salvinorin A, whereas S. divinorum leaves and its processed product "concentrated salvia" contained 0.19% to 0.58% of the compound. A DNA-based authentication method using amplification refractory mutation system clearly distinguished S. divinorum from the cultivars. The authors conclude that this authentication method is simple and accurate, making it useful for practical regulation.
Yakugaku zasshi : Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan
January 1, 2022
Rie Tanaka, Maiko Kawamura, Sakumi Mizutani et al.
3 citations
Three new derivatives of the dissociative drug methoxetamine (MXE) were identified in illegal products in Japan: methoxpropamine (MXPr), methoxisopropamine (MXiPr), and deoxymethoxetamine (DMXE). MXE itself, an analog of the anesthetic ketamine, is already controlled as a narcotic in Japan, and its overdoses have caused health problems. All arylcyclohexylamines, including these new substances, act as antagonists of the NMDA receptor. The findings highlight the ongoing emergence of novel psychoactive substances designed to evade legal controls.
Yakugaku zasshi : Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan
January 1, 2016
Masahiko Funada
Law-evading herbal products in Japan, marketed as incense or herbs, contain synthetic cannabinoids that cause disturbed consciousness, dyspnea, traffic accidents, and ambulance transports. Because many cannabinoid compounds exist, regulating one prompts substitution with a slightly different one, creating a regulatory cat-and-mouse game. The paper summarizes the pharmacological actions and dangers of synthetic cannabinoids and outlines comprehensive designations that regulate based on chemical structure similarity. The authors established a screening system using animal behavioral analysis and cell culture cytotoxicity assays to rapidly evaluate psychic-dependence liability and cytotoxicity. These data contributed to legislation for comprehensive designations of synthetic cannabinoids.
Yakugaku zasshi : Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan
June 1, 2008
Ruri Kikura-Hanajiri, Maiko Kawamura, Nahoko Uchiyama et al.
Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare amended the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law in 2006 to control 31 non-controlled psychotropic substances and one plant as "Designated Substances" as of April 2007, with five more compounds added in January 2008. These substances had been sold as video cleaners, incense, and reagents via the Internet or in video shops. The authors developed simultaneous analytical methods using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and present retention times, UV spectra, and mass spectrometry data for these substances.
Yakugaku zasshi : Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan
September 1, 2006
Kayo Doi, Maki Miyazawa, Hisashi Fujii et al.
In Japan, certain tryptamine and phenethylamine derivatives were classified as narcotics in 2005 and 2006. Researchers analyzed these substances using TLC, IR, GC-MS, and HPLC to distinguish structural isomers. 5MeO-DIPT and 5MeO-DPT could be differentiated by TLC and HPLC but not by IR or GC-MS. 4HO-MIPT and 4HO-DET could not be distinguished by any method, and the isomer 4HO-MPT was not detected. The authors conclude that NMR data is essential for distinguishing such compounds.