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Synthetic Drugs (synthetic + drug)
Selected AbstractsRapid detection and identification of counterfeit of adulterated products of synthetic phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors with an atmospheric solids analysis probeDRUG TESTING AND ANALYSIS, Issue 2 2010Marian Twohig Abstract The market success of the three approved synthetic phosphodiesterase type-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors for the treatment of erectile dysfunction has led to an explosion in counterfeit versions of these drugs. In parallel a large market has developed for herbal products claimed to be natural alternatives to these synthetic drugs. The herbal products are heavily advertised on the internet and are freely available to purchase without prescription. Furthermore, adulteration of these supposed natural medicines is a very common and serious phenomenon. Recent reports have shown that the adulteration has extended to the analogues of the three approved synthetic PDE-5 inhibitors. An Atmospheric Solids Analysis Probe (ASAP) was used for the direct analysis of the counterfeit pharmaceuticals and herbal products. Using the ASAP combined with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF MS) it was possible to detect fraudulent counterfeit tablets. The physical appearance of the pills resembled the pills from the original manufacturer but contained the wrong active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). Detecting adulteration for five herbal supplements marketed as natural alternatives to PDE-5 inhibitors was also possible using the ASAP. Three types of adulteration were found in the five samples: adulteration with tadalafil or sildenafil, mixed adulteration (tadalafil and sildenafil), and adulteration with analogues of these drugs. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Determination of tryptamine derivatives in illicit synthetic drugs by capillary electrophoresis and ultraviolet laser-induced fluorescence detectionELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 12 2005Carolin Huhn Abstract A method based on separation by capillary electrophoresis combined with UV-laser-induced fluorescence detection (,ex,=,266,nm) was developed for the determination of nine tryptamine derivatives of forensic interest and potential matrix constituents. The composition of the separation electrolyte was optimized with respect to the resolution of solutes of interest and to the sensitivity of fluorescence detection. Native ,-cyclodextrin was employed as a complex forming modifier of the electrophoretic separation and fluorescence-enhancing agent. With the help of a stacking procedure, limits of detection of 0.1,6,µg/L for all analytes were obtained. The repeatability for the peak area (at a concentration of the analyte about 100 times the LOD) was less than 2.3%,RSD. A second HPLC method was developed, and its analytical parameters were evaluated for an estimation of the accuracy of the CE-LIF method and for method comparison. The results of the determination of tryptamine derivatives in the samples of forensic interest obtained with the two independent methods are in good agreement. [source] Adulteration of Chinese herbal medicines with synthetic drugs: a systematic reviewJOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 2 2002E. Ernst Abstract.,Ernst E. (University of Exeter, Exeter, UK). Adulteration of Chinese herbal medicines with synthetic drugs: a systematic review (Review Article). J Intern Med 2002; 252: 107,113. The popularity of Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) demands a critical analysis of safety issues. The aim of this systematic review is to summarize data regarding adulterations of CHMs with conventional drugs. Literature searches were carried out in six databases. Articles containing original data on adulterations were considered without language restrictions. Eighteen case reports, two case series and four analytical investigations were identified. The list of adulterants contains drugs associated with serious adverse effects like corticosteroids. In several instances, patients were seriously harmed. One report from Taiwan suggests that 24% of all samples were contaminated with at least one conventional pharmacological compound. It is concluded that adulteration of CHMs with synthetic drugs is a potentially serious problem which needs to be addressed by adequate regulatory measures. [source] MassBank: a public repository for sharing mass spectral data for life sciencesJOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (INCORP BIOLOGICAL MASS SPECTROMETRY), Issue 7 2010Hisayuki Horai Abstract MassBank is the first public repository of mass spectra of small chemical compounds for life sciences (<3000 Da). The database contains 605 electron-ionization mass spectrometry(EI-MS), 137 fast atom bombardment MS and 9276 electrospray ionization (ESI)-MSn data of 2337 authentic compounds of metabolites, 11 545 EI-MS and 834 other-MS data of 10 286 volatile natural and synthetic compounds, and 3045 ESI-MS2 data of 679 synthetic drugs contributed by 16 research groups (January 2010). ESI-MS2 data were analyzed under nonstandardized, independent experimental conditions. MassBank is a distributed database. Each research group provides data from its own MassBank data servers distributed on the Internet. MassBank users can access either all of the MassBank data or a subset of the data by specifying one or more experimental conditions. In a spectral search to retrieve mass spectra similar to a query mass spectrum, the similarity score is calculated by a weighted cosine correlation in which weighting exponents on peak intensity and the mass-to-charge ratio are optimized to the ESI-MS2 data. MassBank also provides a merged spectrum for each compound prepared by merging the analyzed ESI-MS2 data on an identical compound under different collision-induced dissociation conditions. Data merging has significantly improved the precision of the identification of a chemical compound by 21,23% at a similarity score of 0.6. Thus, MassBank is useful for the identification of chemical compounds and the publication of experimental data. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Preparative separation of a multicomponent peptide mixture by mass spectrometryJOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (INCORP BIOLOGICAL MASS SPECTROMETRY), Issue 2 2006Xinli Yang Abstract We report on the first multiplex preparative separation by mass spectrometry of bio-organic molecules in the 200,350 Da mass range that is typical for synthetic drugs. A five-component mixture consisting of two di- and three tripeptides has been separated by mass using a specially designed mass spectrometer. The instrument for preparative separations consists of an electrospray ionization (ESI) source, ion transfer optics, an electrostatic sector, and an inhomogeneous-field magnetic mass analyzer that achieves linear mass dispersion of ion beams. Protonated peptides produced by electrospray were separated, nondestructively landed on a 16-channel array of dry collector plates, and reconstituted in solution. The preparation procedures and the instrumental conditions have been optimized to maximize the ion currents. The significant features of the special mass spectrometer are high ion currents and simultaneous separation and collection of mixture components. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Studies on the molecular recognition between bioactive peptides and angiotensin-converting enzymeJOURNAL OF MOLECULAR RECOGNITION, Issue 2 2009A.S. Pina Abstract High blood pressure or hypertension is a condition affecting many individuals and represents a controllable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease and stroke. A non-pharmacological approach to manage these includes the application of food components with antihypertensive activity. Milk protein-derived peptides have been exploited as natural hypotensive agents, namely the peptides Val-Pro-Pro (VPP) and Ile-Pro-Pro (IPP), already commercialized in functional foods as a potential alternative to synthetic drugs. These bioactive peptides inhibit in vitro and in vivo the Angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE), a protein with an important role in blood pressure regulation. In this work, we attempted to elucidate the possible mode of interaction between the peptides and ACE, including mechanisms of binding to the cofactor Zn2+, and further contrast this with the known mode of inhibition exerted by synthetic drugs (Captopril, Enalaprilat and Lisinopril). The bioactive peptide Ala-Leu-Pro-Met-His-Ile-Arg (ALPMHIR), also known to inhibit the enzyme ACE but with a lower efficiency than VPP and IPP, was utilized in the docking studies for comparison. It was observed that the best docking poses obtained for VPP and IPP were located at the ACE catalytic site with very high resemblance to the drugs mode of interaction, including the coordination with Zn2+. As for ALPMHIR, the best docking poses were located in the narrow ACE channel outside the catalytic site, representing higher affinity energies and fewer resemblances with the interaction established by drugs. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Experimental approaches for studying uptake and action of herbal medicinesPHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH, Issue 3 2007Venil N. Sumantran Abstract In order to gain wider credibility, herbal medicines must go through the rigorous scientific scrutiny to which synthetic drugs are subjected, and this includes investigating their absorption, bioavailability and metabolism. This review describes approaches for determining how active compounds in herbal formulations enter the systemic circulation. To assess how bioactive molecules enter the target organs and cells, specific cell lines and organ culture models can be used, followed by in vitro models to show how they may regulate digestion, energy balance and metabolism. This could lead to a better understanding of how herbal medicines affect digestion and absorption; fundamental questions which should be answered in addition to their mechanism of action. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Being old-for-grade and drug use: Not such a clear connectionACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 12 2005Joan-carles Surís Abstract Aim: To assess whether repeating a grade was associated with drug use among adolescents after controlling for personal, family and school-related variables, and whether there were differences between students in mandatory and post-mandatory school. Methods: Data were drawn from the Catalonia Adolescent Health Survey, a cross-sectional study of in-school adolescents aged 14,19 y. The index group included 366 subjects who were repeating a grade at the time the survey was carried out (old-for-grade, OFG). A control group matched by gender, school and being one grade ahead was randomly chosen among all the subjects who had never repeated a grade. All statistically significant variables in the bivariate analysis were included in a multivariate analysis. In a second step, all analyses were repeated for students in mandatory (14,16 y) and post-mandatory (17,19 y) school. Results: After controlling for background variables, subjects in the index group were more likely to perceive that most of their peers were using synthetic drugs and to have ever used them, to have bad grades and a worse relationship with their teachers. OFG students in mandatory school were more likely to have divorced parents, bad grades and have ever used synthetic drugs, whereas they were less likely to be regular drinkers. OFG students in post-mandatory school were more likely to have below average grades, to be regular smokers and to perceive that most of their peers used synthetic drugs. Conclusions: When background variables are taken into consideration, the relationship between repeating a grade and drug use is not so clear. By increasing the familial and academic support of adolescents with academic underachievement, we could reduce their drug consumption. 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