Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Identification of alpha-phenylethylamine in judicial samples

E Meyer1, J F Van Bocxlaer, W E Lambert

  • 1Laboratorium voor Toxicologie, Universiteit Gent, Belgium.

Journal of Analytical Toxicology
|March 1, 1996
PubMed
Summary

Alpha-phenylethylamine, a compound previously found in judicial cases, is now frequently detected in illicit drug samples. This repeated emergence highlights its growing presence in the illegal drug trade.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Novel perfluoroacyl derivatives of corticosteroids and related substances for potential use in quantitative gas chromatography mass spectrometry.

Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry·2013
Same author

Class identity assignment for amphetamines using neural networks and GC-FTIR data.

Spectrochimica acta. Part A, Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy·2006
Same author

Longitudinal study on the prevalence of benzodiazepine (mis)use in a prison: importance of the analytical strategy.

Addiction (Abingdon, England)·2003
Same author

Fatality due to combined use of the designer drugs MDMA and PMA: a distribution study.

Journal of analytical toxicology·2003
Same author

Analysis of flecainide and two metabolites in biological specimens by HPLC: application to a fatal intoxication.

Journal of analytical toxicology·2003
Same author

Simultaneous determination of in total 17 opium alkaloids and opioids in blood and urine by fast liquid chromatography-diode-array detection-fluorescence detection, after solid-phase extraction.

Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences·2002

Area of Science:

  • Forensic Chemistry
  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • Alpha-phenylethylamine (PEA) has been identified in various forensic samples.
  • Its presence in illicit drug contexts suggests potential use as a cutting agent or adulterant.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To document the recent and repetitive detection of alpha-phenylethylamine in illicit drug-related cases.
  • To analyze the contexts and compositions of seized substances containing PEA.

Main Methods:

  • Chromatographic techniques: High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Diode-Array Detection (HPLC-DAD), Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), Gas Chromatography-Fourier Transform Infrared Detection (GC-FTIR).
  • Spectrometric techniques: Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR).

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • PEA was identified in multiple judicial cases involving white powders and seized drugs.
  • Seized substances included mixtures of caffeine, amphetamine, and PEA.
  • Urine samples from deceased individuals showed high levels of amphetamine and PEA.

Conclusions:

  • Alpha-phenylethylamine is repeatedly and recently occurring in illicit drug circuits.
  • Its presence indicates a pattern in the composition of illegal substances.
  • Forensic analysis is crucial for identifying such compounds in drug seizures and biological samples.