title: Salvinorin A content in legal high products of Salvia divinorum sold in Mexico.
abstract: Salvia divinorum (Lamiaceae) is a herb native to Mexico where it is used by Mazatec shamans for spiritual and divination purposes. S. divinorum products are easily available to consumers and are used worldwide as legal highs because of the hallucinogenic effects caused mainly by salvinorin A. Highly popular videos and websites on the internet depicting the use of S. divinorum products have contributed to an increase in their consumption. Recent reports have highlighted the potential of these products to induce psychosis in consumers. In Mexico, dried leaf extracts of S. divinorum are sold in different strengths, claiming to correlate with increasing amounts of salvinorin A. In order to determine the variability of salvinorin A content between brands and to investigate possible correlation between brand strengths, this study sought to quantify salvinorin A in commercial products available in Mexico using an HPLC method. The HPLC analytical method showed a correlation coefficient R(2)>0.99, with LOD of 0.44 μg/mL and LOQ of 1.34 μg/mL. The retention time for salvinorin A was 23.09±0.95 min and the measured concentrations ranged between 8.32±0.65 and 56.52±3.77 mg/g dried leaf. The results for brand c did not show an agreement between the declared and the calculated amount of salvinorin A. Additionally, the emergence in Mexico of high strength salvia products (100×), the lack of regulation and the observed variability of salvinorin A content between brands of commercial legal highs products of S. divinorum could result in a health problem for consumers.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Servicios de Apoyo en Resolución Analítica, Universidad Veracruzana, Av. Dr. Luis Castelazo Ayala s/n, Col. Industrial-Animas, CP 91190 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hernández-Bello
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Servicios de Apoyo en Resolución Analítica, Universidad Veracruzana, Av. Dr. Luis Castelazo Ayala s/n, Col. Industrial-Animas, CP 91190 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.
authors.forename: Rosa Virginia
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: García-Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Química Orgánica, Unidad de Biotecnología, Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán, A.C., Calle 43 No. 130, Chuburná de Hidalgo, CP 97200, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico.
authors.forename: Karlina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: García-Sosa
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Química Orgánica, Unidad de Biotecnología, Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán, A.C., Calle 43 No. 130, Chuburná de Hidalgo, CP 97200, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico.
authors.forename: Luis Manuel
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Peña-Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Servicios de Apoyo en Resolución Analítica, Universidad Veracruzana, Av. Dr. Luis Castelazo Ayala s/n, Col. Industrial-Animas, CP 91190 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.
authors.forename: Maribel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vázquez-Hernández
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Servicios de Apoyo en Resolución Analítica, Universidad Veracruzana, Av. Dr. Luis Castelazo Ayala s/n, Col. Industrial-Animas, CP 91190 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.
authors.forename: Fernando Rafael
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Ramos-Morales
authors.affiliation: Medicines Research Group, School of Health, Sport and Bioscience, University of East London, Water Lane, London E15 4LZ, UK.
authors.forename: Olivia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Corcoran
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Servicios de Apoyo en Resolución Analítica, Universidad Veracruzana, Av. Dr. Luis Castelazo Ayala s/n, Col. Industrial-Animas, CP 91190 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. Electronic address: albsanchez@uv.mx.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Medina
mesh_terms: D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D003132:Commerce; D045785:Diterpenes, Clerodane / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008800:Mexico; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000737:chemistry*; D027544:Salvia / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D045785:Diterpenes, Clerodane; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; C090499:salvinorin A
keywords: Drug abuse; HPLC method; Legal highs; Salvia divinorum; Salvinorin A