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Affiliation(s)
- David Love
- United States Drug Enforcement Administration, Special Testing and Research Laboratory, USA
| | - Nicole S. Jones
- RTI International, Applied Justice Research Division, Center for Forensic Sciences, 3040 E. Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC, 22709-2194, USA,70113th Street, N.W., Suite 750, Washington, DC, 20005-3967, USA,Corresponding author. RTI International, Applied Justice Research Division, Center for Forensic Sciences, 3040 E. Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC, 22709-2194, USA.
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Rodrigues ML, Gomes ADJ, Funez MI, Marques MADS, Lunardi CN. Euphorbia tirucalli latex loaded polymer nanoparticles: Synthesis, characterization, in vitro release and in vivo antinociceptive action. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0274432. [PMID: 36445864 PMCID: PMC9707765 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The encapsulation of drugs in micro and nanocarriers has helped to resolve mechanisms of cellular resistance and decrease drug side effects as well. In this study, poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) was used to encapsulate the Euphol active substance-containing latex from Euphorbia tirucalli (E-latex). The nanoparticles (NP) were prepared using the solvent evaporation method and the physical and chemical properties were evaluated using spectrophotometric techniques. FTIR was used to prove the formation of the ester bond between the E-latex and PLGA-NP. The UV-Vis spectroscopic technique was used to show that more than 75% of the latex was encapsulated; the same technique was used to determine the release profile of the compound at different pH values, as well as determining the speed with which the process occurs through kinetic models, and it was observed that the best adjustments occurred for the Korsmeyer-Peppas model and the Higuchi model. The DLS technique was used to determine the diameter of the particles produced as well as their zeta potential (ZP). The sizes of the particles varied from 497 to 764 nm, and it was observed that the increase in E-latex concentration causes a reduction in the diameter of the NP and an increase in the ZP (-1.44 to -22.7 mV), due to more functional groups from latex film being adsorbed to the NPs surfaces. The thermogravimetric experiments exhibit the glass transition temperatures (Tg) that is appropriate for the use of formulated NPs as a stable drug delivery device before use. The in vivo activity of E-NPs (30 and 100 mg/Kg/p.o.) was tested against carrageenan-induced mechanical hypernociception. The data demonstrated a significantly antinociceptive effect for E-NPs, suggesting that E-latex nanoencapsulation preserved its desired properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Lima Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Photochemistry and Nanobiotechnology, University of Brasilia, Campus Ceilandia, Brasília, Federal District, Brazil
- Program in Nanoscience and Nanobiotechnology, University of Brasilia, Brasília, Federal District, Brazil
| | - Anderson de Jesus Gomes
- Laboratory of Photochemistry and Nanobiotechnology, University of Brasilia, Campus Ceilandia, Brasília, Federal District, Brazil
- Program in Nanoscience and Nanobiotechnology, University of Brasilia, Brasília, Federal District, Brazil
- Sciences and Technologies in Health Program, University of Brasilia, Campus Ceilandia, Brasilia, Federal District, Brazil
| | - Mani Indiana Funez
- Sciences and Technologies in Health Program, University of Brasilia, Campus Ceilandia, Brasilia, Federal District, Brazil
| | | | - Claure Nain Lunardi
- Laboratory of Photochemistry and Nanobiotechnology, University of Brasilia, Campus Ceilandia, Brasília, Federal District, Brazil
- Program in Nanoscience and Nanobiotechnology, University of Brasilia, Brasília, Federal District, Brazil
- Sciences and Technologies in Health Program, University of Brasilia, Campus Ceilandia, Brasilia, Federal District, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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Luong R, Parkin JA, Cunningham N. Acute concomitant injury and intoxication in complainants of recent sexual assault: A review. J Forensic Leg Med 2022; 92:102448. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jflm.2022.102448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Poulladofonou G, Freris C, Economou A, Kokkinos C. Wearable Electronic Finger for Date Rape Drugs Screening: From "Do-It-Yourself" Fabrication to Self-Testing. Anal Chem 2022; 94:4087-4094. [PMID: 35195989 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c00015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In-house digital fabrication of low-cost sensors that can on-site and rapidly detect adulteration of alcoholic beverages with sedation drugs (known as date rape drugs, (DRDs)) and analgesics is of great importance for everyday consumers and supervisory authorities. DRDs and analgesics are administrated in spirits for "drug-facilitated sexual assault" crimes and for the reduction of the following day hangover caused by low-quality spirits, respectively. This work describes, a novel "do-it-yourself" wearable 3D printed electrochemical finger (e-finger), which enables direct, rapid, and multianalyte self-testing of the main DRDs (flunitrazepam, scopolamine, ketamine) and paracetamol via direct immersing into a spirit shot. The oxygen interference on flunitrazepam detection was alleviated by dissolving an effervescent tablet of vitamin C in the spirit shot, as ascorbic acid serves as a scavenger for dissolved oxygen. The e-finger can be printed in-house at any size by anyone with access to a low-cost domestic 3D printer using a simple, fast, and low-cost printing procedure. The e-finger is addressed by a smartphone-based miniature potentiostat and allows on-the-spot self-checking of the quality and safety of alcoholic spirits, via a single calibration-free voltammetric measurement, readily performed even by untrained end users. The e-finger is a new powerful screening tool in the hands of supervisory authorities to conduct on-site forensic investigations. More importantly, it paves the way toward in-house e-production of "ready-to-use" reliable self-testing devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia Poulladofonou
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 157 71, Greece
| | - Christiforos Freris
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 157 71, Greece
| | - Anastasios Economou
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 157 71, Greece
| | - Christos Kokkinos
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 157 71, Greece
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Optimized and Validated DBS/MAE/LC–MS Method for Rapid Determination of Date-Rape Drugs and Cocaine in Human Blood Samples—A New Tool in Forensic Analysis. SEPARATIONS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/separations8120249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this work was to develop a new method for the determination of selected substances from the date-rape drugs group: ketamine, benzodiazepines and cocaine. The method is based on the dried blood spot method which seems to be a suitable tool in the analysis of tested substances. The extraction process based on microwave-assisted extraction was optimized to enable optimal conditions for the isolation of a wide range of analytes from blood samples collected on DBS cards. The extraction with ethyl acetate with a buffer of pH = 9 carried out at a temperature of 50 °C for 15 min ensured high extraction efficiency of the tested analytes. The optimized method was validated. Limits of detection (LOD = 4.38–21.1 ng/mL) and quantification (LOQ = 14.6–70.4 ng/mL), inter- and intra-day precision (CV = 1.37–13.4% and 3.39–14.8%, respectively), recovery (RE = 93.0–112.4%) and matrix effect (ME = 98.4–101.6%) were determined. The validation results indicate the possibility of using the proposed method in the analysis of real blood samples collected from victims of sexual assault.
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