title: Rapid determination of scopolamine in evidence of recreational and predatory use.
abstract: In recent years, scopolamine has become a drug of common use for recreational and predatory purposes and several ways of administration have been devised. A method for the rapid analysis of suspicious samples was developed, using a portable capillary electrophoresis with contactless conductivity detection. The method allows the separation of scopolamine from atropine which has a similar structure and is present along with scopolamine in some samples. The method was demonstrated to be useful for the fast analysis of several types of evidential items which have recently been reported to have been abused with fatal consequences or employed for criminal purposes. An infusion of Datura stramonium L., in which scopolamine and atropine naturally coexist, was analyzed for being frequently consumed for recreational purposes. A spiked moisturizing cream and six spiked alcoholic beverages were also analyzed. In spite of the complexity of the specimens, the sample pre-treatment methods developed were simple and fast.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry I, Multipurpose Building of Chemistry, University of Alcalá, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona km 33.600, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; University Institute of Research in Police Sciences (IUICP), University of Alcalá, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona km 33.600, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sáiz
authors.forename: Thanh Duc
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Mai
authors.forename: María López
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bartolomé
authors.forename: Peter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Hauser
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: García-Ruiz
mesh_terms: D000759:Adjuvants, Anesthesia / Q000737:chemistry*; D003415:Crime; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D019075:Electrophoresis, Capillary / Q000379:methods*; D053593:Forensic Toxicology; D006801:Humans; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000737:chemistry*; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000759:Adjuvants, Anesthesia; D012601:Scopolamine
keywords: Burundanga; Contactless conductivity detection; Portable capillary electrophoresis; Predatory drugs; Scopolamine