Advances in new psychoactive substances identification: the U.R.I.To.N. Consortium

Area of Science:

• Forensic Toxicology
• Analytical Chemistry
• Neuroscience of Addiction

Background:

• The rapid emergence of new psychoactive substances (NPS) poses significant challenges for forensic toxicology.
• A wide chemical diversity and swift synthesis rates necessitate advanced detection tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a multidisciplinary approach for identifying NPS.
• To showcase the capabilities of the "Unit of Research and Innovation in Forensic Toxicology and Neuroscience of Addiction" (U.R.I.To.N.).

Main Methods:

• Liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).
• Gas chromatography hyphenated to mass spectrometry (GC-MS).
• Solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis.

Main Results:

• Successful identification of three NPS in seized materials.
• The identified NPS include 1-(benzofuran-5-yl)-N-methylpropan-2-amine, 2-amino-1-(4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)ethan-1-one (bk-2C-B), and 3-(2-aminopropyl)indole (α-methyltryptamine).

Conclusions:

• A multidisciplinary strategy combining LC-MS/MS, GC-MS, and NMR is effective for NPS identification.
• This approach aids forensic toxicologists in tackling the challenges posed by emerging psychoactive drugs.