title: Analysis of 25 C NBOMe in Seized Blotters by HPTLC and GC-MS.
abstract: Use of unauthorized synthetic drugs is a serious, forensic, regulatory and public health issue. In this scenario, consumption of drug-impregnated blotters is very frequent. For decades, blotters have been generally impregnated with the potent hallucinogen known as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD); however, since 2013 blotter stamps with N-2 methoxybenzyl-substituted phenylethylamine hallucinogen designated as "NBOMes" have been seized in Chile. To address this issue with readily accessible laboratory equipment, we have developed and validated a new HPTLC method for the identification and quantitation of 25-C-NBOMe in seized blotters and its confirmation by GC-MS. The proposed method was validated according to SWGTOX recommendations and is suitable for routine analysis of seized blotters containing 25-C-NBOMe. With the validated method, we analyzed 15 real samples, in all cases finding 25-C-NBOMe in a wide dosage range (701.0-1943.5 µg per blotter). In this situation, we can assume that NBOMes are replacing LSD as the main hallucinogenic drug consumed in blotters in Chile.
authors.affiliation: Drug Analysis Section, Public Health Institute of Chile, Santiago, Chile bduffau@gmail.com bduffau@ispch.cl.
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Duffau
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Camargo
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kogan
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Edwar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fuentes
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Bruce Kennedy
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Cassels
mesh_terms: D000286:Administration, Sublingual; D000327:Adsorption; D002677:Chile; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000592:standards*; D006213:Hallucinogens / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010209:Paper; D010627:Phenethylamines / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D006213:Hallucinogens; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D010627:Phenethylamines