Poison hemlock determination in postmortem samples.

Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum L.) is a weed that grows rampant in many areas of North America. Forensic toxicology laboratories rarely receive requests to analyze biological specimens for the presence of poison hemlock. This report discusses two postmortem cases that were encountered over a decade apart and describes different analytical approaches that may be used to quantify coniine, a primary poison hemlock alkaloid, in biological specimens. The first case is from 2004 and involves a 27-year-old female that was found deceased in a relatively isolated area of California. Based on the presence of plant material at the scene and signs of its ingestion at autopsy, the possibility of hemlock poisoning was considered. Toxicological testing of the blood and gastric content by quantitative selected-ion monitoring Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (SIM-GC/MS) revealed the presence of coniine at concentrations of 410 ng/mL and 9300 ng/mL, respectively. The second case is from Pennsylvania and was sent for analysis in the spring of 2019. In this case, a male in his forties was found deceased in the kitchen area of a camper. Green substances, in liquid and residue forms, were observed in the sink. Mixtures of leaf-like material were also found in several bowls and pans. Subclavian blood screened positive for coniine by full-scan Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). Semi-quantitative confirmation testing was performed by Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and showed the presence of coniine at a concentration of 35 ng/mL. These analytical approaches can be used to substantiate or exclude poison hemlock exposure as a cause of death.

Detection and characterization of the new synthetic cannabinoid APP-BINACA in forensic casework.

New psychoactive substances (NPS) continue to emerge around the world. APP-BINACA (or APP-BUTINACA), a novel synthetic cannabinoid, was first reported in Europe in January 2019 and later in the United States in March 2019. APP-BINACA was identified in the United States for the first time in blood sample extracts from forensic casework by liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS). To date, APP-BINACA has been identified in 11 forensic toxicology cases from five states and in both medicolegal death investigations and drug impaired driving investigations. APP-BINACA was commonly found in combination with 4F-MDMB-BINACA. Subsequent to its discovery in biological samples, APP-BINACA was detected and characterized in seized drug material by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), LC-QTOF-MS, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Further analysis of biological specimens resulted in the identification of five metabolites, including 4-HO-APP-BINACA and APP-BINACA 3-phenylpropanoic acid. The frequency of APP-BINACA detection appears to be increasing and this new synthetic cannabinoid has been identified as a possible contributory factor in adverse events, including death. This is the first literature report regarding the characterization of the new synthetic cannabinoid APP-BINACA in humans. Since it is not widely tested for, it is not yet known the extent to which APP-BINACA is contributing to morbidity and mortality, but forensic scientists, public health officials, and others should be aware of its possible presence and impact. Laboratories should incorporate APP-BINACA into testing workflows for detection and confirmation, where possible.

4F-MDMB-BINACA: A New Synthetic Cannabinoid Widely Implicated in Forensic Casework.

This is the first report regarding the characterization of the new synthetic cannabinoid 4F-MDMB-BINACA. 4F-MDMB-BINACA was first analytically confirmed in seized drug material using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Subsequent to this characterization, 4F-MDMB-BINACA was detected in biological specimens collected as part of forensically relevant casework, including medicolegal death investigations and drug impaired driving investigations, from a variety of regions in the United States. Further analysis of biological specimens resulted in the identification of the metabolites 4F-MDMB-BINACA 3,3-dimethylbutanoic acid and 4-OH-MDMB-BINACA. 4F-MDMB-BINACA is appearing with increasing frequency as a contributory factor in deaths, creating morbidity and mortality risks for drug users. Laboratories must be aware of its presence and impact, incorporating 4F-MDMB-BINACA into workflows for detection and confirmation.

An analytical strategy for quaternary ammonium neuromuscular blocking agents in a forensic setting using LC-MS/MS on a tandem quadrupole/time-of-flight instrument.

An analytical strategy is described for analyzing quaternary ammonium neuromuscular blocking agents in a wide variety of biological specimens in a forensic setting. Neuromuscular blocking agents such as succinylcholine, pancuronium, and tubocurarine, often used as paralytic agents during surgery, are occasionally suspected as paralytic poisoning agents involved in suspected homicide and suicide cases. Because suspicion in such cases can develop slowly, the age, nature, and quality of available specimens varies greatly. The compounds are challenging analytically because of their simultaneous precharged yet lipophilic character. An analytical strategy has been devised for extracting these compounds from complex matrices using a combination of a modified Bligh and Dyer liquid-liquid extraction (used in reverse) followed by reverse-phase ion pairing solid-phase extraction using heptafluorobutyric acid as an ion pairing reagent. Final analysis is by LC-MS/MS using a tandem quadrupole orthogonal acceleration time of flight instrument (Q-TOF) with repetitive product ion scanning at high resolution. Native and spiked specimens are compared for both quantitative and especially qualitative purposes. The method has been applied to a wide variety of fluid and tissue specimen types, including numerous specimens from exhumation autopsies. For most specimens, detection limits are in the 2 to 10 ng/g range. Succinylmonocholine has been demonstrated to be present at low levels in normal posthumous kidney and liver. The Q-TOF is an excellent platform for forensic analytical investigations. This analytical strategy should also be applicable to other problematic analytes and sample matrices.

Identification of synthetic cannabinoids in herbal incense blends in the United States.

Synthetic cannabinoid agonists are chemically diverse with multiple analogs gaining popularity as drugs of abuse. We report on the use of thin layer chromatography, gas chromatography mass spectrometry, high-performance liquid chromatography, and liquid chromatography time of flight mass spectrometry for the identification and quantitation of these pharmacologically active chemicals in street drug dosage forms. Using these approaches, we have identified the synthetic cannabinoids JWH-018, JWH-019, JWH-073, JWH-081, JWH-200, JWH-210, JWH-250, CP47,497 (C=8) (cannabicyclohexanol), RCS-4, RCS-8, AM-2201, and AM-694 in various commercially available products. Other noncannabinoid drugs including mitragynine have also been detected. Typical concentrations of drug in the materials are in the range 5-20 mg/g, or 0.5-2% by weight for each compound, although many products contained more than one drug.