RESUMEN
We describe two cases of human consumption of seeds from Argyreia nervosa (Hawaiian Baby Woodrose), which resulted in one fatality due to falling from a building and one surviving witness. The principal psychoactive constituent of the seeds, lysergamide (LSA), was recovered from blood and urine samples by mixed-mode cation exchange solid-phase extraction and quantified by ultra performance liquid chromatography-time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-ToF/MS). The LSA concentrations were determined by UPLC-ToF/MS to be 4.9 microg/L in blood and 1.0mg/L in urine in the dead person and 1.8 microg/L in blood and 0.50mg/L in urine in the living person. These analytical findings were found to be in accordance with the case story, which indicated that seeds had been ingested and also noted psychological reactions, i.e. the will to jump out of the window. Other findings in the dead person were 22 microg/L THC in blood, 0.71 g/L ethanol in blood and 1.0 g/L ethanol in vitreous humor. Constituents originating from the seeds of A. nervosa, i.e. LSA, ergonovine, lysergic acid alpha-hydroxyethylamide were also identified in the biological samples. The 2-hydroxy-3-oxo metabolites of LSA and ergonovine were identified in the urine sample of the deceased.
Asunto(s)
Accidentes por Caídas , Alucinógenos/efectos adversos , Dietilamida del Ácido Lisérgico/análogos & derivados , Psicosis Inducidas por Sustancias/etiología , Semillas/efectos adversos , Adulto , Depresores del Sistema Nervioso Central/análisis , Cromatografía Líquida de Alta Presión , Dronabinol/sangre , Etanol/análisis , Toxicología Forense , Semivida , Alucinógenos/sangre , Alucinógenos/orina , Humanos , Dietilamida del Ácido Lisérgico/efectos adversos , Dietilamida del Ácido Lisérgico/sangre , Dietilamida del Ácido Lisérgico/orina , Masculino , Fumar Marihuana/efectos adversos , Espectrometría de Masas , Traumatismo Múltiple/patología , Extracción en Fase Sólida , Cuerpo Vítreo/químicaRESUMEN
Withdrawal of the support for the REMEDi HS drug profiling system has necessitated its replacement within our laboratories with an alternative broad toxicological screening technique. To this end, a novel method, based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry, was developed for the routine analysis of urine samples. Identification was achieved by comparison of acquired data to libraries containing more than 300 common drugs and metabolites, and was based on a combination of retention time, exact mass and fragmentation patterns. Validation data for the method is presented and comprised an evaluation of the following parameters: precision; transferability of the methodology between the six collaborating laboratories; specificity; extraction recovery and stability of processed samples; matrix effects and sensitivity. This paper presents the benefits of supplementary fragmentation data with particular regard to increasing specificity and confidence of identification and its usefulness with overdosed samples. The utility of the method was assessed by the parallel analysis of 30 authentic urine samples using the REMEDi HS and UPLC-TOF. The latter provided enhanced detection, leading to the identification of twice as many drugs. Furthermore it did not miss any compounds that were identified by REMEDi HS. The UPLC-TOF findings were further verified by a combination of data from three other conventional screening techniques, i.e., GC-MS, HPLC-DAD and UPLC-MS/MS.