Bogumiła Byrska

In recent years, an increased number of reports concerning illegal production and non-medical use of fentanyl and its analogues found in NPS samples have appeared. Because of high potency, these compounds are used in very low doses and most of them are highly dangerous and toxic. Forensic quantitative analysis of seized NPS samples is requested by the law enforcement administration (police, judges, prosecutors) usually in order to estimate the number of active doses and thus the number of people who can be intoxicated. It can be helpful in estimating whether they deal with a large scale case or minor one. This number of doses is taken into account when proceeding a forensic case and passing a sentence in court. To perform such an analysis, the forensic laboratory should use individual quantitative reference standards. In case of NPS such compounds may sometimes be commercially unavailable. Continuing purchase of NPS standards is also very expensive, and the time needed to obtain controlled drugs may be very long. All these were the reasons why the authors searched for an alternative method of NPS quantification in such instances. Application of charged aerosol detection (CAD) combined with ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) as a separation technique, appeared to be such a solution. Instead of individual reference standards of the analytes, the method utilises only one certified standard called the reference compound in this case para-fluorofentanyl. Quantification of the detected substances is then based on the calibration curve of the chosen reference compound – para-fluorofentanyl. This procedure can be used for determination of fentanyl analogues in the forensic analysis of seized NPS without the use of individual reference standards.

Purpose The most commonly associated substance found in Ecstasy tablets is MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine). In our study, we showed how the composition of psychoactive ingredients in Ecstasy tablets seized on the drug market in Poland has changed in the years 2005–2020. Methods The study material consisted of nearly 20,000 single Ecstasy tablets seized by representatives of law enforcement (the police, prosecutors) from 2005 to 2020 and analysed by the Institute of Forensic Research, Krakow, Poland. The analysis of the tablets was carried out by gas chromatography—mass spectrometry (GC–MS), high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC–DAD) and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection (UHPLC-PDA). Results Currently, new types of MDMA tablets are introduced onto the market, available in various colours and shapes. Our study showed that tablets sold on the street as Ecstasy have variable purity and sometimes contain little or no MDMA. The mean content of MDMA in one tablet seized in 2005–2011 decreased from 90 to 50 mg. In 2013, Ecstasy tablets with a very high MDMA content (average 195 mg per tablet) appeared on the market, but in the next 2 years, the MDMA content decreased again. From 2016, the average MDMA content began to rise again, ranging from 60 to 280 mg. Conclusion Tablets sold as Ecstasy also contained completely different psychoactive substances, including new psychoactive substances (NPS) (found in almost 20% of all examined tablets sold as Ecstasy) belonging to different chemical groups or their dangerous combinations (i.e. phenylethylamines, piperazines, tryptamines, cathinones, arylalkylamines, arylcyclohexylamines and piperidines). Such a large variety of psychoactive substances in Ecstasy tablets is associated with a high risk for users unaware of their composition.

Serdecznie witamy na eJournals. Portalu Czasopism Naukowych! eJournals to nie tylko platforma do publikowana online, ale również doświadczony zespół Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego oferujący wsparcie dla Redakcji czasopism w zakresie prowadzenia i rozwoju Czasopisma. Misją eJournals jest wspieranie polskich naukowców oraz zapewnienie przedstawicielom redakcji Czasopism profesjonalnej pomocy w ciągłym podnoszeniu ich poziomu i utrzymaniu wysokich standardów światowych. Wdrażanie międzynarodowych standardów i dobrych praktyk wraz z nowoczesnymi narzędziami publikowania może wpływać na bardziej skuteczne aplikowanie do naukowych baz danych, zwiększanie liczby cytowań, sprawniejszą migrację danych w bazach naukowych i budowanie lepszej widoczności w sieci. Wspieramy Redakcje w działaniach z zakresu informacji naukowej w celu stałego podnoszenia prestiżu Czasopism.