Two-dimensional correlation infrared spectroscopy applied to the identification of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine in illegally adulterated slimming herbal products

Trends in digital detection for the quality and safety of herbs using infrared and Raman spectroscopy

Herbs have been used as natural remedies for disease treatment, prevention, and health care. Some herbs with functional properties are also used as food or food additives for culinary purposes. The quality and safety inspection of herbs are influenced by various factors, which need to be assessed in each operation across the whole process of herb production. Traditional analysis methods are time-consuming and laborious, without quick response, which limits industry development and digital detection. Considering the efficiency and accuracy, faster, cheaper, and more environment-friendly techniques are highly needed to complement or replace the conventional chemical analysis methods. Infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopy techniques have been applied to the quality control and safety inspection of herbs during the last several decades. In this paper, we generalize the current application using IR and Raman spectroscopy techniques across the whole process, from raw materials to patent herbal products. The challenges and remarks were proposed in the end, which serve as references for improving herb detection based on IR and Raman spectroscopy techniques. Meanwhile, make a path to driving intelligence and automation of herb products factories.

Recent Analytical Method for Detection of Chemical Adulterants in Herbal Medicine

Herbal medicine has become popular in recent years as an alternative medicine. The problem arises when herbal medicines contain an undeclared synthetic drug that is illegally added, since it is a natural product that does not contain any chemical drugs due to the potential cause of harmful effects. Supervision of herbal medicines is important to ensure that these herbal medicines are still safe to use. Thus, developing a reliable analytical technique for the determination of adulterated drugs in herbal medicine is gaining interest. This review aims to provide a recent analytical method that has been used within the past 5 years (2016-2021) for the determination of chemical adulterants in herbal medicine.

Two-Dimensional Correlation Spectroscopy: The Power of Power Spectra

Power spectra are a powerful tool provided by two-dimensional correlation analysis. However, this tool is seldom used in practice. This work shows selected examples of using of the power spectra for the study of various kinds of samples with the aim to promote more common use of this tool. By examination of the power spectrum of specific sample, one can estimate the sensitivity of different molecular fragments on a given perturbation. Determination of the power spectra for smaller data subsets provides information on the dynamics of perturbation-induced spectral changes. If the experimental spectra of different samples in the same perturbation window are recorded, the comparison of the power spectra yields information on differences in the sensitivity of various samples on common perturbation. This possibility is particularly useful for studies of the spectra-structure correlations, interactions, and molecular dynamics. A comparison of the power spectra obtained by using different reference spectra provides information on the nature of spectral changes at different wavenumbers.

Interpol review of controlled substances 2016-2019

This review paper covers the forensic-relevant literature in controlled substances from 2016 to 2019 as a part of the 19th Interpol International Forensic Science Managers Symposium. The review papers are also available at the Interpol website at: https://www.interpol.int/content/download/14458/file/Interpol%20Review%20Papers%202019.pdf.

In Silico Infrared Characterization of Synthetic Cannabinoids by Quantum Chemistry and Chemometrics

The concept of forensic sciences as mere trace analysis has been modified by the idea of forensic intelligence, which entails applying data to make decisions within the investigative process. Many countries are engaged in combating drug trafficking and drug use because they are related to public health and safety issues. Prohibiting the consumption of traditional drugs has led new psychoactive substances (NPSs) to emerge. NPSs consist of compounds that resemble the initially banned substance and which aim to mimic the traditional drug recreational effects while circumventing drug legislation. For example, synthetic cannabinoids are sprayed on herbal products to reproduce the cannabis recreational effects. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the toxic effects of synthetic cannabis types are unknown, and harm and fatalities associated with the use of these drugs have been reported. Information on the characterization related to these species is lacking. The rate at which NPSs appear poses a significant challenge because employing conventional methods to understand the characteristics of these compounds may require time and be costly. This work uses in silico practices as an alternative to understand how NPSs related to cannabis behave. We apply quantum chemistry methods to evaluate several synthetic cannabinoids recognized in forensic samples. More specifically, we generate infrared spectra that can be employed as a benchmark for NPSs. We apply a multivariate classification to evaluate the results. We conclude that in silico methods are an alternative that provide information about the spectra of undetected substances. This information can help to identify new drugs, to increase knowledge about them, and to feed information procedures.