5,310 research outputs found
Legislazione internazionale, nazionale e problematiche terminologiche e definitorie in tema di cannabis
No full textNon di rado compaiono all’interno delle sentenze e della normativa in tema di stupefacenti, termini riferiti alla cannabis
che non sembrano essere in linea con gli studi scientifici condotti dalla botanica e dalla tossicologia. Numerose sono state le
occasioni avute a livello legislativo per porre rimedio a questa discordanza lessicale e terminologica; tuttavia, ancora oggi,
persiste una diffusa incertezza che potrebbe avere ripercussioni sulla concreta applicazione dei precetti penali previsti dal
combinato disposto degli articoli 28 e 73 del T.U., D.P.R. 309/1990. Il presente lavoro si pone, dunque, l’obiettivo di affrontare
i temi sopra accennati anche tramite l’analisi della normativa nazionale e comunitaria oltre che attraverso l’esame di alcune
significative decisioni della Corte di Cassazione penale e della Corte di giustizia europea
Detection of cannabinoids by ELISA and GC-MS methods in a hair sample previously used to detect other drugs of abuse
No full textA forensic standard procedure is described that combines enzymelinked
immunoassay for screening and gas chromatography–mass
spectrometry (GC–MS) for confirmation to detect drugs of abuse in
a sample before used to detect opioids and cocaine. We used two
equal aliquots of the same previously selected cannabinoid positive
hair samples, one of which was subjected to acid hydrolysis.
Afterward, both the aliquots were subjected to basic extraction
and then to immunoassay screening. After derivatization, the GC–
MS parameters were the same for both the aliquots for the determination
of the cannabinoids (D9-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol and
cannabinol). The results show that there were no statistical differences
between the nonpreviously treated and the pretreated hair samples
for the quantification of the three cannabis products for immunochemical
procedure. No differences between the two groupswere shown as
for GC–MS confirmation procedures. All substances showed a good
linearity between 0.05 and 2 ng/mg. The limit of detection ranged
from 0.02 to 0.03 ng/mg, and the limit of quantification was
0.05 ng/mg for all substances. To our knowledge, this is the first
time that screening and confirmation procedures have been applied
on the same sample of hair to detect more than one drug of abus
Exogenous Versus Endogenous Nandrolone in Doping Investigations: A Systematic Literature Review
No full textNandrolone, or 19-nortestosterone, is an anabolic steroid derived from testosterone, known for its androgenic and anabolic effects. Often used illicitly by athletes to boost performance, its use is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in and out of competition. Nandrolone’s main metabolites, 19-norandrosterone (19-NA) and 19-noretiocholanolone (19-NE), are typically detected in urine. This systematic review, registered with PROSPERO and following PRISMA guidelines, examines nandrolone’s metabolism, factors affecting its natural production, and the analytical methods used in doping tests. Searches on PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science yielded 517 studies, of which 57 were selected for analysis after excluding duplicates and unrelated articles. Descriptive statistics were applied to assess data on metabolic pathways, endogenous production influences, and detection techniques. Based on this review, it clearly emerges that the only technique that can distinguish endogenous production from an exogenous intake is gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS). In addition, factors influencing endogenous production are considered and explored. Overall, this review provides useful information regarding nandrolone and its main metabolites
Detection of Three Opioids (Morphine, Codeine and Methadone) and Their Metabolites (6-Monoacetylmorphine and 2-Ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine) in Larvae of <i>Lucilia sericata</i> Species by UHPLC-TF-MS and Validation
No full textInsects on corpses could be a useful tool for the detection of exogenous substances such as drugs of abuse. The identification of exogenous substances in carrion insects is critical for proper estimation of the postmortem interval. It also provides information about the deceased person that may prove useful for forensic purposes. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with Fourier transform mass spectrometry is a highly sensitive analytical technique that can identify substances even at very low concentrations, such as in the case of searching for exogenous substances in larvae. In this paper, a method is proposed for the identification of morphine, codeine, methadone, 6-monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM) and 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine (EDDP) in the larvae of Lucilia sericata, a common carrion fly widely distributed in temperate areas of the world. The larvae, which were reared on a pig meat substrate, were killed once they reached their third stage by immersion in hot water at 80 °C and aliquoted into 400 mg samples. The samples were fortified with 5 ng of morphine, methadone and codeine. After solid-phase extraction, the samples were processed with a liquid chromatograph coupled to a Fourier transform mass spectrometer. This qualitative method has been validated and tested on larvae from a real case. The results lead to the correct identification of morphine, codeine, methadone and their metabolites. This method could prove useful in cases where toxicological analysis must be conducted on highly decomposed human remains, where biological matrices are very limited. Furthermore, it could help the forensic pathologist to better estimate the time of death, as the growth cycle of carrion insects can undergo changes if exogenous substances are taken
Validation of an HPLC–HR-MS Method for the Determination and Quantification of Six Drugs (Morphine, Codeine, Methadone, Alprazolam, Clonazepam and Quetiapine) in Nails
No full text: Keratinized matrices, including nails, are among the most resistant matrices that can be analyzed in cases where remains are deeply decomposed and relatively non -invasive for living people. In order to exploit these new matrices in the search for exogenous substances, it is necessary to develop analytical technologies capable of achieving high levels of sensitivity. In this technical note, an easy method is presented for the simultaneous extraction and quantification of three narcotic substances (morphine, codeine, methadone), two benzodiazepines (BDZ) (clonazepam and alprazolam) and an antipsychotic (quetiapine) from nail matrix by analysis in Ultra High-Performance Liquid Chromatography at High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HPLC/HR-MS). The method has been validated following the Standard Practices for Method Validation in Forensic Toxicology of the Scientific Working Group for Forensic Toxicology. Nail specimens from eight authentic postmortem cases and thirteen living donor samples were extracted and analyzed. Of the eight postmortem samples, five resulted positive for at least one of the three substances searched. Ten of the thirteen living donor specimens were positive for at least one of the targeted benzodiazepines or quetiapine
Hair analysis to evaluate polydrug use
No full textPolydrug use is a frequent pattern of consumption in Europe. This behavior has mainly been analyzed within restricted groups; more rarely in large populations. Current polydrug use is less studied than simultaneous use. This study focused on the concurrent assumption of polydrug amongdrivers using hair matrix. Hair matrix, for its biological characteristics, allows to identify illicit drug use more often than other matrices, i.e., urine, and it provides information on the long-term use of them. Hair samples of subjects positive for opiates, cocaine and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (∆9-THC) collected by the forensic toxicology laboratory of the University of Macerata in the period 2010–2020, were analyzed using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method. Our results evidenced that a significant part of the examined population (12.15%) used polydrug. A strong predominance of males over females was evident. Polydrug users were more frequently young people. The abuse of two substances was predominant. Cocaine and ∆9-THC was the most common combination, followed by cocaine and morphine, and morphine and ∆9-THC. The timeframe of polydrug use was also analyzed. Our study shows that polydrug use is a very frequent behavior, and that hair analysis may be a powerful tool to obtained informations
Validation of a new method for the detection of Ethyl glucuronide in larvae of Lucilia sericata as a marker of ante-mortem alcohol consumption
No full textLarvae and insects are an important and alternative biological matrix in the development anpost- mortem forensic toxicology. They are very useful when conventional matrices are not available, in particular when the loss of biological fluids, due to the decomposition of corpses or to a traumatic death, occurs. The purpose of this study is to develop and validate an analytical method in Ultra High-Performance Liquid Chromatography at High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HPLC/HR-MS) for the research and quantification of Ethyl glucuronide (EtG) on larvae. The criteria taken into consideration for the validation are linearity, quantitation limits (LOD and LLOQ), accuracy, precision, carryover, interferences and ionization suppression/enhancement. The method was shown to be linear within the tested range, with a coefficient of determination higher than 0.99. LOD was 2 pg mg− 1, while LLOQ was 5 pg mg-1. Accuracy, precision and ionization/suppression enhancement fulfilled the criteria indicated in the guidelines used for the validation. The establishment and validation of this method allowed the identification of Ethyl glucuronide on the larvae of Lucilia sericata (Calliphoridae) of a subject found death in an advanced state of decomposition
Detection of Morphine and Opioids in Fingernails: Immunohistochemical Analysis and Confirmation with Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry
No full textThis study aimed to investigate the detection of morphine in fingernails from forensic autopsies using immunohistochemistry (IHC), with confirmation by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS). A primary antibody specific to morphine and a secondary antibody conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was used. IHC on specimens of Subjects A and B (both drug addicts) resulted in the detection of morphine on a cell layer of the nail plate matrix. UHPLC-HRMS and GC-MS analysis showed that Subject A had a morphine concentration of 0.35 ng/mg in the fingernail and 472 ng/mL in the blood, while Subject B reached 1.23 ng/mg in the fingernail and 360 ng/ml in the blood. Most of those matrices were positive for codeine, methadone, EDDP, and 6-MAM. The use of IHC in Subject C (a former addict) showed no positivity for morphine in the fingernail, while the UHPLC-HRMS analysis confirmed its absence in the fingernail and blood. Additionally, an analysis of the scalp or pubic hair of the subjects was carried out using UHPLC-HRMS. The results suggest that IHC can be used to establish the site of accumulation of morphine in the nail matrix; for postmortem diagnosis; and that basic substances can be detected by UHPLC-HRMS. There are no previous studies on the use of IHC as a technique for forensic purposes in unconventional matrices, such as nails
Ricerca in HPLC-ORBITRAP di Etil Glucuronide in larve di Lucilia Sericata prelevate da cadavere in avanzato stato di decomposizione
No full textDestrometorfano ed eroina: taglio pericoloso?
No full textNell’ambito dello spaccio di sostanze illecite ed in particolare di eroina ha avuto una diffusione sempre più importante come sostanza da taglio il destrometorfano (DXM). L’obiettivo del lavoro è approfondire i motivi di questo largo impiego e valutare eventuali contromisure da adottare.
Il destrometorfano (DXM) è un principio attivo con proprietà antitussive, venduto come farmaco da banco e comunemente usato per la sua comprovata sicurezza ed efficacia. Il largo utilizzo di DXM come sostitutivo, ove possibile, di farmaci contenenti codeina è riconducibile alla sua struttura chimica: si tratta infatti di una molecola sintetica non narcotica analoga alla codeina (A. R. Silva & R. J. Dinis-Oliveira. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of dextromethorphan: clinical and forensic aspects. Drug metabolism reviews, 2020). Ciò significa che il DXM non esplica la sua azione farmacologica tramite attivazione dei recettori oppioidi nonostante la sua struttura molecolare e di conseguenza il suo impiego esclude la comparsa di effetti analgesici, se non come blando sedativo. Al contrario, il suo stereoisomero levometorfano (sostanza inserita nella tabella I del T.U. sugli stupefacenti) è un analgesico oppioide dotato di potenza farmacologica superiore alla stessa morfina.
Tuttavia a partire dagli anni novanta ha destato preoccupazione la crescente popolarità del DXM come droga d’abuso in particolar modo tra i più giovani. Il motivo del suo utilizzo illecito è riconducibile alle sue proprietà euforiche, allucinogene e dissociative che si manifestano assumendo dosi superiori all’intervallo terapeutico. Non a caso nel contesto di spaccio il DXM è conosciuto come “poor man’s PCP” (letteralmente la fenciclidina dell’uomo povero), poiché entrambe agiscono sull’organismo mediante lo stesso meccanismo di azione, ovvero come antagonisti del recettore NMDA, provocando gli stessi effetti psicoattivi. Inoltre è opportuno evidenziare che il suo metabolita primario destrorfano (DXO) si formi rapidamente e sia altrettanto psicoattivo prolungando la durata degli effetti della molecola primaria.
A tal proposito, in seguito ad accertamenti tossicologici eseguiti per un caso di decesso ha destato attenzione una positività per oppiacei con valori anomali per il DXM. Le analisi chimico tossicologiche eseguite sul sangue centrale hanno infatti rilevato una modesta quantità di morfina (oltre a 6-MAM e codeina), mentre sono stati calcolati valori quantitativi elevati per il DXM (154 μg/L) ed il DXO (86 μg/L). Infatti la letteratura scientifica attesta per il DXM una concentrazione plasmatica a dosi terapeutiche compresa tra 0.001-0.04 mg/L. (M. Schulz and others. Revisited: therapeutic and toxic blood concentrations of more than 1,100 drugs and other xenobiotics. Critical care 2020.)
Alla luce di tali considerazioni e della propensione verso il DXM come una delle principali sostanze da taglio nello spaccio di eroina, sarebbe opportuna l’ipotesi di includere il destrometorfano nel D. Lgs. 309/1990 (T.U. sugli stupefacenti), secondo l’art. 80 “Aggravanti specifiche”, comma 1, lettera e, per cui “le pene previste per i delitti di cui all'articolo 73 sono aumentate da un terzo alla metà se le sostanze stupefacenti o psicotrope sono adulterate o commiste ad altre in modo che ne risulti accentuata la potenzialità lesiva”?
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