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In this case report, we present an evaluation of the distribution of postmortem concentrations of butyr-fentanyl in a fatality attributed principally to the drug. A man who had a history of intravenous drug abuse was found unresponsive on the bathroom floor of his home. Drug paraphernalia was located on the bathroom counter. Toxicology testing, which initially screened positive for fentanyl by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, subsequently confirmed butyr-fentanyl, which was then quantitated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-specific ion monitoring (GC-MS SIM) analysis following liquid-liquid extraction. The butyr-fentanyl peripheral blood concentration was quantitated at 58 ng/mL compared with the central blood concentration of 97 ng/mL. The liver concentration was 320 ng/g, the vitreous was 40 ng/mL, the urine was 670 ng/mL and the gastric contained 170 mg. Acetyl-fentanyl was also detected in all biological specimens tested. Peripheral blood concentration was quantitated at 38 ng/mL compared with the central blood concentration of 32 ng/mL. The liver concentration was 110 ng/g, the vitreous was 38 ng/mL, the urine was 540 ng/mL and the gastric contained <70 mg. The only other drug detected was a relatively low concentration of benzoylecgonine. The cause of death was certified as acute butyr-fentanyl, acetyl-fentanyl and cocaine intoxication, and the manner of death was certified as accident., (© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Accurate on-site devices to screen for drug intake are critical for establishing whether an individual is driving under the influence of drugs (DUID); however, on-site oral fluid (OF) cocaine device performance is variable. We evaluated the performance of a newly developed benzoylecgonine (BE) test-strip for the Draeger® DrugTest 5000 device (20 µg/L cut-off) with equivalent cross reactivity for cocaine and BE. Ten cocaine users provided OF, collected with the Draeger cassette and Oral-Eze® and StatSure Saliva Sampler(TM) devices, up to 69 h following 25 mg intravenous cocaine administration. All screening results were confirmed by a validated two-dimensional-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (2D-GC-MS) method for cocaine and/or BE. Cocaine test-strip median Tlast for screening only results was 6.5 h, and 6.5 h with Oral-Eze® and 4 h for StatSure OF confirmation for cocaine and/or BE at 1, 8, and 10 µg/L; sensitivity, specificity, and efficiency ranged from 85.5 to 100% and 83.3 to 100% for cocaine only confirmation at 8 and 10 µg/L. For the BE test-strip, median Tlast was 12.5 h for screening only and confirmation for cocaine and/or BE at all three cut-offs; sensitivity, specificity, and efficiency ranged from 85.5 to 97.5% and 78.4 to 97.4% with cocaine and/or BE confirmation at 8 and 10 µg/L cut-offs, respectively. The Draeger cocaine test-strip with cocaine only confirmation offers a useful option for monitoring the acute intoxication phase of DUID; additionally the BE test-strip with cocaine and/or BE confirmation increases the length of detection of cocaine intake for workplace drug testing, drug court, parole, pain management, drug treatment programs and both the acute cocaine intoxication and cocaine crash/fatigue phase of DUID. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., (Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

We review here the most frequently reported targets among the electrochemical immunosensors and aptasensors: antibiotics, bisphenol A, cocaine, ochratoxin A and estradiol. In each case, the immobilization procedures are described as well as the transduction schemes and the limits of detection. It is shown that limits of detections are generally two to three orders of magnitude lower for immunosensors than for aptasensors, due to the highest affinities of antibodies. No significant progresses have been made to improve these affinities, but transduction schemes were improved instead, which lead to a regular improvement of the limit of detections corresponding to ca. five orders of magnitude over these last 10 years. These progresses depend on the target, however.

Forensic hair evidence can be used to obtain retrospective timelines of drug use by analysis of hair segments. However, this is a laborious and time-consuming process, and mass spectrometric (MS) imaging techniques, which show great potential for single-hair targeted analysis, are less useful due to differences in hair growth rate between individual hairs. As an alternative, a fast untargeted analysis method was developed that uses direct analysis in real time-high-resolution mass spectrometry (DART-HRMS) to longitudinally scan intact locks of hair without extensive sample preparation or segmentation. The hair scan method was validated for cocaine against an accredited liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method. The detection limit for cocaine in hair was found to comply with the cutoff value of 0.5 ng/mg recommended by the Society of Hair Testing; that is, the DART hair scan method is amenable to forensic cases. Under DART conditions, no significant thermal degradation of cocaine occurred. The standard DART spot size of 5.1 ± 1.1 mm could be improved to 3.3 ± 1.0 mm, corresponding to approximately 10 days of hair growth, by using a high spatial resolution exit cone. By use of data-dependent product ion scans, multiple drugs of abuse could be detected in a single drug user hair scan with confirmation of identity by both exact mass and MS/HRMS fragmentation patterns. Furthermore, full-scan high-resolution data were retrospectively interrogated versus a list of more than 100 compounds and revealed additional hits and temporal profiles in good correlation with reported drug use.

Nanomaterials which can respond to external stimuli have attracted considerable attention due to their potential applications in sensing and biomedicine. One of the most promising classes of such materials is the stimuli-responsive liposome that can release its contents in response to a specific target. Despite recent progress, development of liposomes responsive to small molecular targets remains a challenge, due to the difficulty in designing the transduction process to link between target binding and triggered release, even though small molecular metabolites play important roles in many biological processes. Herein, we demonstrate a combination of an aptamer (apt) for target recognition and enzyme phosphatidylcholine 2-acetylhydrolase (PLA2) for rupture of liposome. As a proof-of-concept, cocaine molecules were used to trigger the release of the enzyme. The exposure to DNA-PLA2 conjugates induced the rupture of liposome containing uranin and gadopentetic acid (Gd-DTPA), allowing multimodal fluorescent and MRI detection of cocaine. The strategy demonstrated in this work can be generally applied to other imaging modalities by loading different imaging agents, as well as other targets by using different functional DNAs.

Modern LC-MS/MS instruments have sensitivity and scanning velocity high enough to analyze many different compounds in single runs. Consequently, the sample preparation procedure has become the bottleneck for developing efficient, rapid, and cheap multi-compound methods. Here, we examined one-step sample preparation based on quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) salts to set up and validate a LC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous determination of 35 drugs of abuse and their metabolites in whole blood. Despite large differences in physicochemical properties, this simplified QuEChERS extraction method yielded satisfactory recoveries (until 96%) for the 35 molecules. The amounts of QuEChERS salts had no influence on extraction yield. Chromatographic separation was obtained in less than 6 min. LLOD and LLOQ were 3 and 5 ng/mL, respectively. The procedure was successfully validated and then applied to 253 cases of driving under the influence of drugs (DUID), collected over a 6-month period.

A microcapillary film reactor (MCF) was adopted to evaluate and compare the removal efficiency of benzoylecgonine (BE), an emerging micropollutant deriving from illicit drug abuse (cocaine), in different aqueous matrices: milliQ water, synthetic and real wastewater and surface water. The removal processes investigated were the direct photolysis with UV radiation at 254 nm, and the advanced oxidation process (AOP) with the same UV radiation and hydrogen peroxide. As a result of the microfluidics approach developed through an innovative experimental apparatus, full conversion of BE was reached within a few seconds or minutes of residence time in the MCF depending on the process conditions adopted. The radiation dose was estimated to be approximately 5.5 J cm(-2). The innovative MCF reactor was found to be an effective tool for photochemical studies, especially when using highly priced, uncommon, or regulated substances. The removal efficiency was affected by the nature of the aqueous matrix, due to the presence of different xenobiotics and natural compounds that act primarily as HO(•) radical scavengers and secondly as inner UV254 filters. Moreover, nano-liquid chromatography (LC)-high resolution-mass spectrometry analysis was utilized to identify the main reaction transformation products, showing the formation of hydroxylated aromatics during the photochemical treatment., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In recent years, different geometrical configurations of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) have been directly coupled to mass spectrometry, resulting in benefits such as diminishing matrix effects, improvement of detection limits, and considerable enhancement of analysis throughput. Although SPME fibers have been used for years, their potential for quantitative analysis when directly combined with mass spectrometry has not been explored to its full extent. In this study, we present the direct coupling of biocompatible SPME (Bio-SPME) fibers to mass spectrometry via nanoelectrospray ionization (nano-ESI) emitters as a powerful tool for fast quantitative analysis of target analytes in biofluids. Total sample preparation time does not exceed 2 min, and by selecting an appropriate fiber length and sample vessel, sample volumes ranging between 10 and 1500 μL can be used. Despite the short extraction time of the technique, limits of detection in the subnanogram per milliliter with good accuracy (≥90%) and linearity (R(2) > 0.999) were attained for all the studied probes in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), urine, and whole blood. Given that Bio-SPME-nano-ESI efficiently integrates sampling with analyte extraction/enrichment, sample cleanup (including elimination of matrix effects in the form of particles), and ionization, our results demonstrated that it is an advantageous configuration for bioanalytical applications such as therapeutic drug monitoring, doping in sports, and pharmacological studies in various matrixes.

Background: The recent implementation of the dual energy technology on CT-scanners has opened new perspectives in tissue and material characterization. This study aims to evaluate whether dual energy CT can be used to assess the concentration of cocaine of intra-intestinal illegal packets., Methods: The study was approved by the institutional review board of our institution (CER 13&#95;027&#95;R). From November 2010 to May 2013, all consecutive conveyors in whom a low-dose abdominal CT (LDCT) revealed the presence of illegal intra-corporeal drug packets underwent a dual energy CT series (gemstone spectral imaging) targeted on one container. The mean radiological density (HU) of these packets was measured on the LDCT series, and on the monochromatic dual energy series, at 40 and 140 keV. The difference between the HU at 40 and 140 keV was reported as ∆HU. The effective atomic number Z(eff) was also measured on the monochromatic series. A chemical analysis was performed after expulsion to select cocaine containing packets, and to determine their cocaine concentrations. A correlation analysis was performed between HU, ∆HU and Z(eff), with regard to the percentage of cocaine., Results: Fifty-four cocaine conveyors were included. The mean cocaine content of the packets was 36.8% (range 11.2-80, SD 15.4), the mean radiologic density 105 HU, the mean Z(eff) 8.7 and the mean ∆HU 163. The cocaine content was correlated with the ∆HU (0.57, p < 0.001), with the Z(eff) (r = 0.56, p < 0.001) but not with radiologic density (r = 0.25, p = 0.064). ∆HU >200 was 0.9 (9 of 10) sensitive and 0.82 (36 of 44) specific to predict a cocaine concentration higher than 50%., Conclusion: Measuring ∆HU or Z(eff) on dual energy monochromatic CT series can be used to detect ingested packets with cocaine concentration >50%.

Sewage epidemiology, as compared to crime statistics, health, medical reports or population surveys, is becoming the most objective and realistic approach to estimate drug consumption and trends in local communities. In this study we proposed newly synthesized sorbent materials for selective extraction of cocaine and benzoylecgonine from wastewater samples. The molecular modeling calculations were conducted to provide the choice of proper template and functional monomer for synthesis of extraction materials. The physicochemical properties of synthesized sorbents were studied using various techniques. The newly developed sorbent materials were applied for selective extraction of cocaine and benzoylecgonine from wastewater samples collected from different wastewater treatment plants in Poland. The obtained recoveries values in wastewater samples were 83.6(±7.1)% and 72.1(±4.8)%, for cocaine and benzoylecgonine, respectively. The newly developed sorbents comprise an alternative to conventional ones, which are not entirely suitable for highly efficient purification of environmental samples due to the presence of contaminants., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We report on a biosensor for cocaine based on the conformation change of DNA aptamer by capturing the cocaine molecules. The oxidation current of ferrocene conjugated on the terminal end of aptamer immobilized on an Au electrode increased with increasing cocaine concentration. The sensor response has been improved by a simple heat treatment after immobilization, since the aggregates of DNA aptamer generated during the immobilization step could be dissociated and rearranged on the electrode.

Forensic laboratories mainly focus on the qualification and the quantitation of the illicit drug under analysis as both aspects are used for judiciary purposes. Therefore, information related to cutting agents (adulterants and diluents) detected in illicit drugs is limited in the forensic literature. This article discusses the type and frequency of adulterants and diluents detected in more than 6000 cocaine specimens and 3000 heroin specimens, confiscated in western Switzerland from 2006 to 2014. The results show a homogeneous and quite unchanging adulteration for heroin, while for cocaine it could be characterised as heterogeneous and relatively dynamic. Furthermore, the results indicate that dilution affects more cocaine than heroin. Therefore, the results provided by this study tend to reveal differences between the respective structures of production or distribution of cocaine and heroin. This research seeks to promote the systematic analysis of cutting agents by forensic laboratories. Collecting and processing data related to the presence of cutting agents in illicit drug specimens produces relevant information to understand and to compare the structure of illicit drug markets., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Middle infrared spectroscopy and multivariate analysis have been applied for the development of methods to perform both quantitative and qualitative analysis of real drug samples seized by the Brazilian Police Federal (BPF). Currently, quantification of cocaine and determination of adulterants in seizures is performed using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. However, this technique requires a relatively complex sample preparation, higher time of analysis, the destruction of sample and a high cost. In this context, this paper presents a simpler method to quantify cocaine and its major adulterants in seized materials. Out of 375 seizures, taken within a time frame of 2009-2013. A total of 1085 samples were analyzed of which 500 were selected for the calibration set and 585 for the validation set. Cocaine concentration in seized samples was determined by using middle infrared spectroscopy and partial least squares regression (PLSR), obtaining an average prediction error of 3.0% (w/w), precision of 2.0 and 11.8% (w/w) of minimum detectable cocaine concentration in a range varying from 24.2 to 99.9% (w/w). Results indicate that the developed method is able to discriminate between cocaine hydrochloride and free base samples, to quantify cocaine content as well as to estimate the concentration of main adulterants phenacetin, benzocaine, caffeine, lidocaine and aminopyrine., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The quantitative determination of urinary biomarkers in raw wastewater has emerged in recent years as a promising tool for estimating the consumption of illicit drugs, tobacco and alcohol in a population and for comparing local and temporal trends. In this study, a three-year monitoring campaign (2012-2014) was conducted to compare alcohol and cocaine use in two European cities (Santiago de Compostela, Spain, and Milan, Italy) by wastewater analysis. Ethyl sulphate and benzoylecgonine were used, respectively, as biomarkers of ethanol and cocaine consumption and cocaethylene as an indicator of co-consumption of both substances. Biomarkers were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and concentrations were converted to rates of consumption using specific correction factors. Results were statistically compared in terms of geographic and temporal tendencies. Alcohol intake was significantly higher in Santiago than in Milan (13.6L versus 5.1L ethanol/1000 people day, averages). Cocaine use was higher in Milan than in Santiago de Compostela (800 versus 632 mg/1000 people day, averages). A significant higher consumption of both alcohol and cocaine was observed during the weekends (~23-75% more than on weekdays) in both cities. In terms of years, slight changes were observed, but no clear trends as representative of the whole year could be identified because of the limited number of days sampled. Co-consumption was evaluated using the cocaethylene/benzoylecgonine ratio, which was higher during the weekend in both cities (58% in Santiago and 47% in Milan over the non-weekend day means), indicating a greater co-consumption when cocaine is used as a recreational drug. Wastewater-based epidemiology gave estimates of alcohol and cocaine use in agreement with previous wastewater studies and with recent European surveillance and prevalence data, and weekly profiles of use and preferential patterns of consumption could be plot., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The young-onset subtype of Parkinson's disease (YOPD) differs from the late-onset subtype (LOPD) in drug responsiveness, incidence of motor complications, and prognosis. The pathophysiology underlying these differences remains largely unknown. This study investigated whether the two subtypes differ in the pattern of dysfunction in striatal (caudate and putamen) dopaminergic system and if the dopamine transporter (DAT) imaging patterns are associated with the clinical features of corresponding PD subtype., Methods: We assessed the spatial pattern of striatal dopaminergic dysfunction in 40 YOPD and 47 LOPD with early to mid-stage PD with DAT imaging by positron emission tomography. Two sub-regional parameters (caudate/putamen ratio and asymmetry index) were calculated to measure the spatial pattern of striatal dopaminergic dysfunction., Results: The caudate/anterior putamen ratios were significantly higher in YOPD than that in the LOPD (P = 0.03 contralateral to the most affected side of the body and P = 0.004 ipsilateral), which was supported by significantly inverse correlations between age of onset and caudate/anterior putamen ratios (r = -0.428, P < 0.001 for the contralateral and r = -0.576, P < 0.001 for the ipsilateral). Sub-regional DAT binding in caudate ipsilateral to affected limbs was significantly correlated with age, while DAT bindings in putamen were significantly inversely correlated with disease duration and UPDRS motor scores., Conclusion: The YOPD subtype suffers from an uneven pattern of dopaminergic dysfunction: more sparing of the caudate compared with the putamen, while the LOPD patients is with a relatively uniform pattern., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The question of why different races appear more susceptible to hair contamination by external drugs remains controversial. This research studied susceptibility of head hair to external cocaine and methamphetamine when hair products have been applied. Three different chemical classes of ethnic hair products were applied to Caucasian, Asian, and African hair. Some products increased the methamphetamine and cocaine concentrations in all hair types. A unique finding of this research is that certain ethnic hair products can replace moisture as a diffusion medium, thereby increasing the susceptibility to contamination over 100-fold compared to petroleum-based products., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The use of coca leaf for medicinal purposes is a centuries-old tradition of the native peoples of South America. Coca products are thought by many laypersons to provide risk-free benefits to users participating in strenuous activities at high altitude. Physiologic studies of coca have increased understanding of its possible mechanism of action as well as its potential impact on high altitude activities. This present work explores the role of coca throughout the history of the Andean peoples and explores whether this ancient remedy has a place in modern medicine. A focused summary of research articles with particular relevance to the field of wilderness medicine is also included to better provide the reader with lessons not only from history but also from another culture., (Copyright © 2015 Wilderness Medical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Cocaine is a strong central nervous system stimulant and one of the most commonly abused drugs. In this study, an electrochemical aptasensor was designed for sensitive and selective detection of cocaine, based on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), gold electrode and complimentary strand of aptamer (CS). This electrochemical aptasensor inherits properties of SWNTs and gold such as large surface area and high electrochemical conductivity, as well as high affinity and selectivity of aptamer toward its target and the stronger interaction of SWNTs with single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) than double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). In the absence of cocaine, a little amount of SWNTs bind to Aptamer-CS-modified electrode, so that the electrochemical signal is weak. In the presence of cocaine, aptamer binds to cocaine, leaves the surface of electrode. So that, a large amount of SWNTs bind to CS-modified electrode, generating to a strong electrochemical signal. The designed electrochemical aptasensor showed good selectivity toward cocaine with a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 105 pM. Moreover, the fabricated electrochemical aptasensor was successfully applied to detect cocaine in serum with a LOD as low as 136 pM., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Cocaine ATR-FTIR spectra consist of a large number of wavenumbers that typically decreases the performance of exploratory and predictive multivariate techniques. This paper proposes a framework for selecting the most relevant wavenumbers to classify cocaine samples into two categories regarding chemical composition, i.e. salt and base. The proposed framework builds a wavenumber importance index based on the Bhattacharyya distance (BD) followed by a procedure that removes wavenumbers from the spectra according to the order suggested by the BD index. The recommended wavenumber subset is chosen based on multiple criteria assessing classification performance, which are recalculated after each wavenumber is eliminated. The method was applied to ATR-FTIR spectra from 513 samples of cocaine, remarkably reducing the percent of retained wavenumbers and yielding near to perfect classifications in the testing set. In addition, we compared our propositions with other methods tailored to wavenumber selection; we found that the proposed framework, which relies on simple mathematical fundamentals, yielded competitive results., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Water from 50 randomly selected lakes across Minnesota, USA, was analyzed for pharmaceuticals, personal care products, hormones, and other commercial or industrial chemicals in conjunction with the US Environmental Protection Agency's 2012 National Lakes Assessment. Thirty-eight of the 125 chemicals analyzed were detected at least once, all at parts per trillion concentrations. The most widely detected was N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide, present in 48% of the lakes sampled. Amitriptyline, a widely used antidepressant, was found in 28% of the lakes. The endocrine active chemicals bisphenol A, androstenedione, and nonylphenol were found in 42%, 30%, and 10% of the lakes, respectively. Cocaine was found in 32% of the lakes, and its degradation product, benzoylecgonine, was detected at 28% of the locations. Carbadox, an antibiotic used solely in the production of swine, was also present in 28% of the lakes sampled. The means by which these and other chemicals were transported to several of the remote lakes is unclear but may involve atmospheric transport., (© 2015 SETAC.)

Aim: To assess whether analysis of oral fluid can be used to identify individual drivers with drug concentrations in blood above 25ng/mL for amphetamine and methamphetamine, 10ng/mL for cocaine and 1.0ng/mL for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which are the cut-off concentrations used in the European DRUID Project, by calculating the diagnostic accuracies when using the analytical cut-off concentrations in oral fluid as well as for the optimal cut-off concentrations., Methods: Paired samples of whole blood and oral fluid collected with the Statsure SalivaSampler were obtained from 4080 drivers in four European countries and analysed for amphetamine, methamphetamine, cocaine and THC using GC-MS or LC-MS. The vast majority (89%) were random drivers not suspected of drug-impaired driving. Receiver-Operating Characteristic analysis was used to evaluate the analytical results., Results: The prevalence of drug findings above the cut-off concentrations in blood was 1.3% for amphetamine, 1.0% for methamphetamine, 0.6% for cocaine and 1.3% for THC. The cut-off concentrations in oral fluid that gave the highest diagnostic accuracy were for amphetamine 130ng/mL (accuracy 99.8%), methamphetamine 280ng/mL (accuracy 99.9%), cocaine 570ng/mL (accuracy 99.6%), and THC 38ng/mL (accuracy 98.3%). The proportion of false positives were 0.2%, 0.1%, 0.1% and 0.9%; and the proportion of false negatives were 0.1%, 0.0%, 0.3% and 0.8%, respectively, when using those cut-offs. The positive predictive values were 87.9%, 92.9%, 84.6% and 35.7% for amphetamine, methamphetamine, cocaine and THC, respectively., Conclusions: Analysis of concentrations of illicit drugs in oral fluid could not be used to accurately identify drivers with drugs concentrations above the selected cut-offs in blood in a cohort of drivers with low prevalence of drugs., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This paper describes a label-free and real-time piezoelectric aptasensor for the detection of cocaine. The acoustic wave sensing platform is a quartz substrate functionalized with an adlayer of S-(11-trichlorosilyl-undecanyl)-benzenethiosulfonate (BTS) cross-linker onto which the anti-cocaine MN4 DNA aptamer is next immobilized. Preparation of the sensor surface was monitored using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), while the binding of cocaine to surface-attached MN4 was evaluated using the electromagnetic piezoelectric acoustic sensor (EMPAS). The MN4 aptamer, unlike other cocaine aptamer variants, has its secondary structure preformed in the unbound state with only tertiary structure changes occurring during target binding. It is postulated that the highly sensitive EMPAS detected the binding of cocaine through target mass loading coupled to aptamer tertiary structure folding. The sensor achieved an apparent Kd of 45 ± 12 µM, and a limit of detection of 0.9 µM. Repeated regenerability of the sensor platform was also demonstrated. This work constitutes the first application of EMPAS technology in the field of aptasensors. Furthermore, it is so far one of the very few examples of a bulk acoustic wave aptasensor that is able to directly detect the binding interaction between an aptamer and a small molecule in a facile one-step protocol without the use of a complex assay or signal amplification step., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) for the analysis of intact hair is a powerful tool for the detection of drugs of abuse in toxicology and forensic applications. Here we present a quick, easy, and reproducible method of preparing longitudinal sections of single hairs. This method improves the accessibility of chemicals embedded in the hair matrix for molecular imaging with mass spectrometry. The images obtained from a single, sectioned hair sample show molecular distributions in the exposed medulla, cortex, and a portion of the cuticle observed as a narrow layer surrounding the cortex. Using MALDI-MS/MS imaging, the distribution of cocaine was observed throughout five longitudinally sectioned drug-user hair samples. The images showed the distribution of the product ion at m/z 182, derived from the precursor ion of cocaine at m/z 304. MetA-SIMS images of longitudinally sectioned hair samples showed a more detailed distribution of cocaine at m/z 304, benzoylecgonine the major metabolite of cocaine at m/z 290 and other drugs such as methadone which was observed at m/z 310. Chronological information of drug intake can be obtained more sensitively. The chronological detail is in hours rather than months, which is of great interest in clinical as well as forensic applications., (Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Latent fingerprints provide a potential route to the secure, high throughput and non-invasive detection of drugs of abuse. In this study we show for the first time that the excreted metabolites of drugs of abuse can be detected in fingerprints using ambient mass spectrometry. Fingerprints and oral fluid were taken from patients attending a drug and alcohol treatment service. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to test the oral fluid of patients for the presence of cocaine and benzoylecgonine. The corresponding fingerprints were analysed using Desorption Electrospray Ionization (DESI) which operates under ambient conditions and Ion Mobility Tandem Mass Spectrometry Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization (MALDI-IMS-MS/MS) and Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS). The detection of cocaine, benzoylecgonine (BZE) and methylecgonine (EME) in latent fingerprints using both DESI and MALDI showed good correlation with oral fluid testing. The sensitivity of SIMS was found to be insufficient for this application. These results provide exciting opportunities for the use of fingerprints as a new sampling medium for secure, non-invasive drug detection. The mass spectrometry techniques used here offer a high level of selectivity and consume only a small area of a single fingerprint, allowing repeat and high throughput analyses of a single sample.

In this study, a series of 10 in-house cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes bearing different auxiliary ligands were tested for their selectivity toward split G-quadruplex in order to construct a label-free switch-on cocaine detection platform employing a three-way junction architecture and a G-quadruplex motif as a signal output unit. Through two rounds of screening, we discovered that the iridium(III) complex 7 exhibited excellent selectivity toward the intermolecular G-quadruplex motif. A detection limit as low as 30 nM for cocaine can be achieved by this sensing approach with a linear relationship between luminescence intensity and cocaine concentration established from 30 to 300 nM. Furthermore, this sensing approach could detect cocaine in diluted oral fluid. We hope that our simple, signal-on, label-free oligonucleotide-based sensing method for cocaine using a three-way DNA junction architecture could act as a useful platform in bioanalytical research.

Illicit drug consumption in five cities in South Korea was estimated by analyzing 17 drug residues in untreated wastewater samples collected during the Christmas and New Year period of 2012-13. Only methamphetamine, amphetamine, and codeine were detected at concentrations of tens of nanograms per liter or even lower concentrations in more than 90% of the samples. Other illicit drug residues (including cocaine, methadone, and benzoylecgonine) that have been detected frequently in wastewater from other countries were not found in this study. Methamphetamine was found to be the most widely used illicit drug in South Korea, and the estimated average consumption rate was 22 mg d(-1) (1000 people)(-1). This rate is, for example, 2-5 times lower than the estimated average consumption rates in Hong Kong and other parts of China and 4-80 times lower than the estimated average consumption rates in cities in Western countries. It should be noted that the wastewater samples analyzed in this study were collected during a holiday season, when daily consumption of illicit drugs is often higher than on an average day. The methamphetamine usage rates were calculated for different cities in South Korea, and the usage rates in smaller cities was higher (2-4 times) than the average., (Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

It is quite challenging to improve the binding affinity of antismall molecule aptamers. We report that the binding affinity of anticocaine split aptamer pairs improved by up to 66-fold by gold nanoparticles (AuNP)-attached aptamers due to the substantially increased local concentration of aptamers and multiple and simultaneous ligand interactions. The significantly improved binding affinity enables the detection of small molecule targets with unprecedented sensitivity, as demonstrated in nanoprobe-enhanced split aptamer-based electrochemical sandwich assays (NE-SAESA). NE-SAESA replaces the traditional molecular reporter probe with AuNPs conjugated to multiple reporter probes. The increased binding affinity allowed us to use 1,000-fold lower reporter probe concentrations relative to those employed in SAESA. We show that the near-elimination of background in NE-SAESA effectively improves assay sensitivity by ∼1,000-100,000-fold for ATP and cocaine detection, relative to equivalent SAESA. With the ongoing development of new strategies for the selection of aptamers, we anticipate that our sensor platform should offer a generalizable approach for the high-sensitivity detection of diverse targets. More importantly, we believe that NE-SAESA represents a novel strategy to improve the binding affinity between a small molecule and its aptamer and potentially can be extended to other detection platforms.

The analytical methods which are often used for the determination of cocaine in complex biological matrices are a prescreening immunoassay and confirmation by chromatography combined with mass spectrometry. We suggest an ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography combined with a potentiometric detector, as a fast and practical method to detect and quantify cocaine in biological samples. An adsorption/desorption model was used to investigate the usefulness of the potentiometric detector to determine cocaine in complex matrices. Detection limits of 6.3 ng mL(-1) were obtained in plasma and urine, which is below the maximum residue limit (MRL) of 25 ng mL(-1). A set of seven plasma samples and 10 urine samples were classified identically by both methods as exceeding the MRL or being inferior to it. The results obtained with the UPLC/potentiometric detection method were compared with the results obtained with the UPLC/MS method for samples spiked with varying cocaine concentrations. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.997 for serum (n =7) and 0.977 for urine (n =8). As liquid chromatography is an established technique, and as potentiometry is very simple and cost-effective in terms of equipment, we believe that this method is potentially easy, inexpensive, fast and reliable., (Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

New developments in the fields of human healthcare and social security call for the exploration of an easy and on-field method to detect drug-related biomarkers. In this paper, Au nanoparticles dotted magnetic nanocomposites (AMN) modified with inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6) were used as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate to quickly monitor trace drug-related biomarkers in saliva and to on-site screen a trace drug biomarker in fingerprints. Due to inducing with an external magnet, such substrate presented a huge SERS activity, which has met the sensitivity requirement for assay to detect the drug biomarkers in saliva from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and also the limit of detection for drug biomarker in fingerprint reached 100 nM. In addition, this AMN-based SERS assay was successfully conducted using a portable Raman spectrometer, which could be used to on-site and accurately differentiate between the smokers and drug addicts in near future., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A method of separation by gas chromatography with a flame ionisation detector was developed for quantifying cocaine and heroin in powders seized by law enforcement. The method was validated by studying parameters of calibration, trueness, precision based on trueness error (or systematic bias) and random error. Total error, which is the combination of these errors, verified its adequacy with the objectives fixed by the analyst. Accuracy profile proved to be an efficient decision tool for that purpose. Results obtained with weighted regression model were analysed and allowed to conclude that the method enables quantitation of heroin and cocaine in powders on 2-100% concentration (w/w) range with acceptance limits fixed at 10% and a risk at 5%. The possible sources of uncertainty were evaluated and measurement of their contribution was integrated. The combined standard uncertainty and expanded uncertainty were determined., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This paper shows the result of a study on the extent of cocaine contamination in Real banknotes in circulation in the state of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). A study of the percentage of contaminated banknotes was made, as well as a study on the contamination of banknotes based on different values, and a study of contamination depending on the region where the banknote was collected. The idea of this last study was to verify if the peculiar characteristics of the region of study (in particular, the city of Rio de Janeiro) influence the amount of cocaine in the banknotes. Some regions have higher consumption/drug trafficking of cocaine than others. Also, some contaminated banknotes confiscated directly from drug dealers and users were analyzed. Also, is showed in this paper all the optimization of the available analytical techniques for making the measurements possible., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Analyte signal in a laser desorption/postionization scheme such as infrared matrix-assisted laser desorption electrospray ionization (IR-MALDESI) is strongly coupled to the degree of overlap between the desorbed plume of neutral material from a sample and an orthogonal electrospray. In this work, we systematically examine the effect of desorption conditions on IR-MALDESI response to pharmaceutical drugs and endogenous lipids in biological tissue using a design of experiments approach. Optimized desorption conditions have then been used to conduct an untargeted lipidomic analysis of whole body sagittal sections of neonate mouse. IR-MALDESI response to a wide range of lipid classes has been demonstrated, with enhanced lipid coverage received by varying the laser wavelength used for mass spectrometry imaging (MSI). Targeted MS(2) imaging (MS(2)I) of an analyte, cocaine, deposited beneath whole body sections allowed determination of tissue-specific ion response factors, and CID fragments of cocaine were monitored to comment on wavelength-dependent internal energy deposition based on the "survival yield" method.

Rheumatic manifestations of cocaine have been well described, but more recently, a dramatic increase in the levamisole-adulterated cocaine supply in the United States has disclosed unique pathologic consequences that are distinct from pure cocaine use. Most notably, patients show skin lesions and renal dysfunction in the setting of extremely high perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (p-ANCA). Unexpectedly, antibodies to myeloperoxidase, the typical target of p-ANCA, are relatively low if at all present. This discrepancy is due to the fact that p-ANCA seen in association with levamisole-adulterated cocaine exposure is often directed against atypical p-ANCA-associated antigens within the neutrophil granules such as human neutrophil elastase, lactoferrin, and cathepsin G. Biopsies of the skin lesions reveal leukocytoclastic vasculitis often involving both superficial and deep dermal vessels. Renal injury most typically manifests as crescentic and necrotizing pauci-immune glomerulonephritis. In this review, the manifestations of levamisole-adulterated cocaine-induced vasculitis are discussed with an emphasis on the typical histomorphologic findings seen on biopsy., Virtual Slides: The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1764738711370019 .

A sensitive and versatile competitive enzyme immunoassay (cEIA) has been developed for the quantitative detection of cocaine in complex forensic samples. Polyclonal anti-cocaine antibody was purified from serum and deposited onto microtiter plates. The concentration of the cocaine antibody adsorbed onto the plates, and the dilution of the cocaine-HRP hapten were both studied to achieve an optimised immunoassay. The method was successfully used to quantify cocaine in extracts taken from both paper currency and latent fingermarks. The limit of detection (LOD) of 0.162ngmL(-1) achieved with the assay compares favourably to that of conventional chromatography-mass spectroscopy techniques, with an appropriate sensitivity for the quantification of cocaine at the low concentrations present in some forensic samples. The cEIA was directly compared to LC-MS for the analysis of ten UK banknote samples. The results obtained from both techniques were statistically similar, suggesting that the immunoassay was unaffected by cross-reactivity with potentially interfering compounds. The cEIA was used also for the detection of cocaine in extracts from latent fingermarks. The results obtained were compared to the cocaine concentrations detected in oral fluid sampled from the same individual. Using the cEIA, we have shown, for the first time, that endogeneously excreted cocaine can be detected and quantified from a single latent fingermark. Additionally, it has been shown that the presence of cocaine, at similar concentrations, in more than one latent fingermark from the same individual can be linked with those concentrations found in oral fluid. These results show that detection of drugs in latent fingermarks could directly indicate whether an individual has consumed the drug. The specificity and feasibility of measuring low concentrations of cocaine in complex forensic samples demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the assay. The immunoassay presents a simple and cost-effective alternative to the current mass spectrometry based techniques for the quantitation of cocaine at forensically significant concentrations., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Desorption electrospray ionization - mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) is a useful technique for the qualitative analysis of compounds found in seized drug material. In this study, DESI-MS was utilized in the screening analysis of illicit cocaine samples. The technique was also applied to the geographical origin determination of these samples. The limit of detection was determined to be 24.3 µg (or 3.47 µg/mm(2) ) and the analysis time was less than 1 minute per sample. The intra-day and inter-day precision for the detection of cocaine was 11 % and 42 %, respectively; therefore the quantitative data provided by DESI-MS was limited in its use for accurate determination of cocaine concentration in a sample. Using the quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF) mass spectrometer, the presence of cocaine and impurities detected were confirmed by accurate tandem MS data. The qualitative chemical profiles obtained using DESI-MS were compared to two popular analysis techniques, GC-MS and LC-MS. The effects of a range of adulterants including caffeine, procaine, levamisole, lignocaine, paracetamol, and atropine on the detectability of cocaine were also investigated. It was found that the addition of these adulterants in a cocaine sample did not prevent the detection of the analyte itself (there was slight enhancement in some samples), which was useful in drug detection. The detection of truxillines in the seized samples by DESI-MS aided in the preliminary determination of geographical origin, i.e., Bolivian, Peruvian or Colombian leaf origin. The application of DESI-MS to the qualitative analysis and screening of seized cocaine samples demonstrates the potential and applicability of the technique to the fast chemical profiling of illicit samples., (Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

A versatile point-of-care assay platform was developed for simultaneous detection of multiple targets based on a microfluidic paper-based analytic device (μPAD) using a target-responsive hydrogel to mediate fluidic flow and signal readout. An aptamer-cross-linked hydrogel was used as a target-responsive flow regulator in the μPAD. In the absence of a target, the hydrogel is formed in the flow channel, stopping the flow in the μPAD and preventing the colored indicator from traveling to the final observation spot, thus yielding a "signal off" readout. In contrast, in the presence of a target, no hydrogel is formed because of the preferential interaction of target and aptamer. This allows free fluidic flow in the μPAD, carrying the indicator to the observation spot and producing a "signal on" readout. The device is inexpensive to fabricate, easy to use, and disposable after detection. Testing results can be obtained within 6 min by the naked eye via a simple loading operation without the need for any auxiliary equipment. Multiple targets, including cocaine, adenosine, and Pb(2+), can be detected simultaneously, even in complex biological matrices such as urine. The reported method offers simple, low cost, rapid, user-friendly, point-of-care testing, which will be useful in many applications.

We present a method for high-yield production of multimilligram amounts of pure single-stranded DNA employing rolling circle amplification (RCA) and processing by restriction enzymes. Pure and homogeneous samples are produced with minimal handling time, reagents, and waste products. The RCA method is more than twice as efficient in dNTP incorporation than conventional polymerase chain reaction in producing end product. The validity and utility of the method are demonstrated in the production of a uniformly (13)C/(15)N-labeled 38-nt cocaine aptamer DNA used in nanosensing devices., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aim: Exhaled breath has recently been identified as a possible matrix for drug testing. This study explored the potential of this new method for compliance monitoring of patients being treated for dependence disorders., Methods: Outpatients in treatment programs were recruited for this study. Urine was collected as part of clinical routine and a breath sample was collected in parallel together with a questionnaire about their views of the testing procedure. Urine was analyzed for amphetamines, benzodiazepines, cannabis, cocaine, buprenorphine, methadone and opiates using CEDIA immunochemical screening and mass spectrometry confirmation. The exhaled breath was collected using the SensAbues device and analyzed by mass spectrometry for amphetamine, methamphetamine, diazepam, oxazepam, tetrahydrocannabinol, cocaine, benzoylecgonine, buprenorphine, methadone, morphine, codeine and 6-acetylmorphine., Results: A total of 122 cases with parallel urine and breath samples were collected; 34 of these were negative both in urine and breath. Out of 88 cases with positive urine samples 51 (58%) were also positive in breath. Among the patients on methadone treatment, all were positive for methadone in urine and 83% were positive in breath. Among patients in treatment with buprenorphine, 92% were positive in urine and among those 80% were also positive in breath. The questionnaire response documented that in general, patients accepted drug testing well and that the breath sampling procedure was preferred., Conclusion: Compliance testing for the intake of prescribed and unprescribed drugs among patients in treatment for dependence disorders using the exhaled breath sampling technique is a viable method and deserves future attention.

A novel, highly sensitive split aptamer mediated endonuclease amplification strategy for the construction of aptameric sensors is reported.

Effective signal enhancement for fluorescence anisotropy in a simple manner is most desirable for fluorescence anisotropy method development. This work aimed to provide insights into the fluorescence anisotropy of terminally labeled double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) to facilitate a facile and universal design strategy for DNA recognition based applications. We demonstrated that fluorescence anisotropy of dsDNA could be regulated by the nature of dyes, the molecular volume, and the end structure of dsDNA. Fluorescence anisotropy ascended with the increased number of base pairs up to 18 bp and leveled off thereafter, indicating the molecular volume was not the only factor responsible for fluorescence anisotropy. By choosing dyes with the positively charged center, high fluorescence anisotropy signal was obtained due to the confinement of the segmental motion of dyes through the electrostatic interaction. By properly designing the end structure of dsDNA, fluorescence anisotropy could be further improved by enlarging the effective overall rotational volume, as supported by two-dimensional (2D) (1)H-(1)H nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy (NOESY). With the successful enhancement of the fluorescence anisotropy for terminally labeled dsDNA, simple and universal designs were demonstrated by sensing of major classes of analytes from macromolecules (DNA and protein) to small molecules (cocaine).

Purpose: To investigate the dual-energy CT behavior of cocaine and heroin and of typical adulterants, and to evaluate the elemental composition of pure cocaine and heroin compared with cocaine and heroin in bodypacks., Methods: Pure heroin and pure synthetic cocaine samples, eight different adulterants, and in each case ten different bodypacks containing cocaine or heroin, were imaged at 80, 100, 120, and 140 kVp in a dual source CT system at two different degrees of compression. Two radiologists, blinded to the samples, measured the attenuation. The dual-energy index (DEI) was calculated. We performed atomic mass spectrometry for the elemental analysis of pure cocaine, pure heroin, and heroin and cocaine in bodypacks, and 140 kVp in a dual-source CT system., Results: Inter- and intra-observer agreement for attenuation measurements was good (r = 0.61-0.72; p < 0.01). The cocaine bodypacks had a positive DEI of 0.029, while the pure drugs and the heroin bodypacks had a negative DEI (-0.051 to -0.027). Levamisole was the only substance which expressed a positive DEI of 0.011, while the remaining adulterants had negative DEIs ranging between -0.015 and -0.215. Atomic mass spectrometry revealed a concentration of tin in the cocaine bodypack that was 67 times higher than in the pure synthetic cocaine sample., Conclusions: The different DEIs of bodypacks containing cocaine and heroin allow them to be distinguished with dual-energy CT. Although the material properties of pure cocaine, pure heroin, or common drug extenders do not explain the differences in DEI, tin contamination during illicit natural cocaine production may be a possible explanation.

Workplace Drug Testing (WDT) in Italy includes two levels of monitoring: a first stage concerning drug testing on urine samples and a second involving both urine and hair analysis. The second stage is performed only on workers who tested positive at the first level. We analyzed urine and hair specimens from 120 workers undergoing second-level testing between 2009 and 2012. Eighty percent of them had tested positive for cannabinoids during the first level analysis, and 15.8% for cocaine. Both urine and hair samples were analyzed in order to find the following drugs of abuse: amphetamines, buprenorphine, cannabinoids, cocaine, ecstasy, methadone, and opiates. Urine analyses were performed by immunological screening (EMIT); urine confirmatory tests and hair analyses were performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). As regards second-stage testing on urine samples, 71.2% of workers were always negative, whereas 23.9% tested positive at least once for cannabinoids and 2.5% for cocaine. Hair analyses produced surprising results: 61.9% of hair samples tested negative, only 6.2% tested positive for cannabinoids, whereas 28.8% tested positive for cocaine. These findings confirm that second-level surveillance of WDT, which includes hair analysis, is very effective because it highlights drug intake - sometimes heavy - that cannot be revealed only through urine analyses. The employees for whom drug addiction is proved can begin rehabilitation, while keeping their job. Eventually, our results confirmed the widespread and undeclared use of cocaine in Italy., (Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

On-site oral fluid testing for drugs of abuse has become prominent in order to take immediate administrative action in an enforcement process. Herein, we report a DVD technology-based indirect competitive immunoassay platform for the quantitative detection of drugs of abuse. A microfluidic approach was adapted to prepare multiplex immunoassays on a standard DVD-R, an unmodified multimode DVD/Blu-Ray drive to read signal, and a free disc-quality analysis software program to process the data. The DVD assay platform was successfully demonstrated for the simultaneous, quantitative detection of drug candidates (morphine and cocaine) in oral fluids with high selectivity. The detection limit achieved was as low as 1.0 ppb for morphine and 5.0 ppb for cocaine, comparable with that of standard mass spectrometry and ELISA methods.

Miniature mass spectrometry analytical systems of backpack configuration fitted with sampling probes could potentially be of significant interest for in-field, real-time chemical analysis. In this study, various configurations were explored in which a long narrow tube was used to connect the turbo and backing pumps used to create and maintain vacuum. Also, for the first time we introduced two new types of pumps for miniature mass spectrometers, the Creare 130 g drag pump and Creare 350 g scroll backing pump. These pumps, along with another Creare 550 turbo pump and the commercially available Pfeiffer HiPace 10 turbo and KnF diaphragm backing pumps, were tested with the backpack configurations. The system performance, especially the scan time, was characterized when used with a discontinuous atmospheric pressure interface (DAPI) for ion introduction. The pumping performance in the pressure region above 1 mtorr is critical for DAPI operation. The 550 g turbo pump was shown to have a relatively higher pumping speed above 1 mtorr and gave a scan time of 300 ms, almost half the value obtained with the larger, heavier HiPace 10 often used with miniature mass spectrometers. The 350 g scroll pump was also found to be an improvement over the diaphragm pumps generally used as backing pumps. With a coaxial low temperature plasma ion source, direct analysis of low volatility compounds glass slides was demonstrated, including 1 ng DNP (2,4-Dinitrophenol) and 10 ng TNT (2,4,6-trinitrotoluene) with Creare 550 g turbo pump as well as 10 ng cocaine and 20 ng DNP with Creare 130 g drag pump.

Two-sized luminescent nucleic acid-functionalized Ag nanoclusters (NCs) are implemented for the analysis and multiplexed detection of adenosine monophosphate, AMP, and of cocaine using aptamer-ligand complexes.

Chemical straightening, also known as a relaxer, is ubiquitously used among African American women to obtain straighter hair compared with their natural tresses. This study focused on the stability of drugs of abuse in hair after a single application of the relaxer. Commercially available 'Lye' or 'No-Lye' chemical straightening products (Silk Elements™) were applied in vitro to drug-fortified hair (standard reference materials (SRM) 2379 and 2380) and hairs clipped from established drug users. Target analytes (cocaine (COC), benzoylecgonine (BZE), cocaethylene (CE), phencyclidine and tetrahydrocannabinol) were isolated using solid-phase extraction and then analyzed with isotope dilution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with selective ion monitoring. After either treatment, drug concentrations were significantly (P < 0.05) decreased in both the SRM sample and the hair from authentic abusers. In the SRM groups, 6-67% of the original concentration remained after a single chemical treatment. Similarly, only 5-30% of the original concentration remained in authentic drug hairs that had formerly tested positive for COC, BZE and CE., (Published by Oxford University Press 2014. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.)

Background: Segmental hair analysis was performed to verify the cocaine withdrawal and compliance to the therapy of four cocaine abusers that were following a drug detoxification program. RESULTS/METHODOLOGY: Cocaine and its major metabolite, benzoylecgonine, were preconcentrated and determined by in-line SPE and CE with prior isolation of the analytes from the hair matrix by an overnight acidic incubation procedure. The LODs obtained for hair samples were 0.02 ng/mg for cocaine and 0.1 ng/mg for benzoylecgonine., Conclusion: Our results showed that the established method, in conjunction with a segmental hair analysis, is suitable for determining drug abuse histories, being very useful in forensic toxicological laboratories as well as in rehabilitation and addiction treatment programs.

The esterification of methylecgonine (2-carbomethoxy-3β-tropine) with benzoic acid is the final step in the biosynthetic pathway leading to the production of cocaine in Erythoxylum coca. Here we report the identification of a member of the BAHD family of plant acyltransferases as cocaine synthase. The enzyme is capable of producing both cocaine and cinnamoylcocaine via the activated benzoyl- or cinnamoyl-Coenzyme A thioesters, respectively. Cocaine synthase activity is highest in young developing leaves, especially in the palisade parenchyma and spongy mesophyll. These data correlate well with the tissue distribution pattern of cocaine as visualized with antibodies. Matrix-assisted laser-desorption ionization mass spectral imaging revealed that cocaine and cinnamoylcocaine are differently distributed on the upper versus lower leaf surfaces. Our findings provide further evidence that tropane alkaloid biosynthesis in the Erythroxylaceae occurs in the above-ground portions of the plant in contrast with the Solanaceae, in which tropane alkaloid biosynthesis occurs in the roots., (© 2015 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.)

The chemical composition of a black powder confiscated by German customs was elucidated. Black powders are occasionally used as a 'transporter' for cocaine and are obviously especially designed to cloak the presence of the drug. The material consisting of cocaine, copper, iron, thiocyanate, and graphite was approached by analytical tools and chemical modelling. Graphite is added to the material probably with the intention of masking the typical infrared (IR) fingerprints of cocaine and can be clearly detected by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. Cu(2+) and NCS(-) ions, when carefully reacted with cocaine hydrochloride, form the novel compound (CocH)2 [Cu(NCS)4 ] (CocH(+)  = protonated cocaine), which has been characterised by single crystal XRD, IR, NMR, UV/Vis absorption and EPR spectroscopy. Based on some further experiments the assumed composition of the original black powder is discussed., (Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)