Investigation of Ayahuasca β-Carboline Alkaloids and Tryptamine in Sweat Samples from Religious Community Participants by GC-MS.

Ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic beverage used in religious rituals in South America, has become a global phenomenon. Its main active components are the β-carbolines alkaloids, harmine (HRM) and harmaline (HRL), as well as the potent hallucinogen N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT). Despite its rising consumption, information regarding possible clinical applications and toxicological effects of ayahuasca is still limited. This study presents the first investigation of the use of sweat for the determination of DMT, HRM and HRL in ayahuasca users during a religious ritual. Sweat is an alternative matrix with advantages over many conventional biological samples, mainly because the collection procedure is non-invasive, easy and simple and samples can be collected without disturbing the religious ritual. In the study, solid-phase extraction was performed under basic conditions. Linearity was observed ranging from 20 to 1500 ng/patch with coefficients of determination (R2) higher than 0.99 for all analytes. The results indicated high selectivity for all investigated analytes, with extraction efficiency exceeding 70%, accuracy ranging from 87.5 to 102.4%, intra-assay precision of 1.85-9.44% and inter-assay precision between 3.34 and 9.85%. The limits of detection were 15 ng/patch for HRM and HRL and 10 ng/patch for DMT. The sweat proved to be a viable option to monitor ayahuasca use

A Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Method for Toxicological Analysis of MDA, MDEA and MDMA in Vitreous Humor Samples from Victims of Car Accidents

© The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. Vitreous humor (VH) shows excellent potential as a matrix of choice for postmortem analytical toxicology due to the ease of sampling and low metabolic activity. This study demonstrates a simple and rapid analytical method to identify and quantify 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxy-ethylamphetamine in VH. Samples were collected with a simple eye puncture procedure, followed by liquid-liquid extraction and derivatization with heptafluorobutyric anhydride and analysis via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The accuracy of the method ranged 97-103%, intra-assay precision was between 4.54 and 9.14% relative standard deviation (RSD) and interassay precision ranged from 6.92 to 10.59% RSD. Limits of detection and quantification ranged from 1.0 to 2.5 ng/mL and 10 ng/mL, respectively. The validated method was successfully applied to detect methylenedioxyamphetamine derivatives in VH samples collected from victims of fatal car crashes

Comparison of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAHs) concentrations in urban and natural forest soils in the Atlantic Forest (São Paulo State)

Studies about pollution by Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in tropical soils and Brazil are scarce. A study was performed to examine the PAHs composition, concentrations and sources in red-yellow Oxisols of remnant Atlantic Forest of the São Paulo State. Sampling areas were located in an urban site (PEFI) and in a natural one (CUNHA).The granulometric composition, pH, organic matter content and mineralogical composition were determined in samples of superficial soils. The sum of PAHs (&#931;HPAs) was 4.5 times higher in the urban area than in the natural one. Acenaphthylene, acenaphthene, fluorene, phenanthrene and fluoranthene have been detected in the soils of both areas and presented similar concentrations. Acenaphthene and fluorene were the most abundant compounds. Pyrene was twice more abundant in the soils of natural area (15 µg.kg-1) than of the urban area and fluoranthene was the dominant compound (203 µg.kg-1) in urban area (6.8 times higher than in the natural area). Some compounds of higher molecular weight, which are tracers of vehicular emissions showed significant concentrations in urban soils. Pyrene represented 79% of &#931;PAHs whereas it has not been detected in natural soils. The results showed that forest soils in urban area are characterized by the accumulation of high molecular weight compounds of industrial and vehicular origin.<br>Estudos sobre a poluição por Hidrocarbonetos Policíclicos Aromáticos (HPAs) são escassos em solos tropicais e no Brasil. Um estudo foi realizado para examinar a composição, as concentrações e fontes de HPAs encontrados em Latossolos vermelho-amarelo (Oxissolos), remanescentes de Mata Atlântica no Estado de São Paulo. As áreas de estudos localizaram-se em um sítio urbano (PEFI) e um natural (CUNHA). A composição granulométrica, pH, teor de matéria orgânica e composição mineralógica foram determinados em amostras de solo superficial. A soma dos HPAs analisados (&#931;HPAs) foi 4,5 vezes mais elevada na área urbana do que na área natural. Acenaftileno, acenafteno, fluoreno, fenantreno e fluoranteno foram detectados, em concentrações similares, nos solos das duas áreas. Acenafteno e fluoreno foram os compostos mais abundantes. O pireno foi duas vezes mais abundante no solo da área natural (15 µg.kg-1), e o fluoranteno foi o composto dominante (203 µg.kg-1) na área urbana (6,8 vezes mais elevado que na área natural). Alguns compostos de alto peso molecular, traçadores de emissões veiculares, foram detectados em quantidades significativas no solo da área urbana. O pireno representou 79% da &#931;HPAs, enquanto que não foi detectado na área natural. Estes resultados evidenciaram que os solos de floresta em áreas urbanas são caracterizados pela acumulação de HPAs pesados oriundos de emissões industriais e veiculares