2. Academic Validation
  3. Concentrations of LSD, 2-oxo-3-hydroxy-LSD, and iso-LSD in hair segments of 18 drug abusers

Concentrations of LSD, 2-oxo-3-hydroxy-LSD, and iso-LSD in hair segments of 18 drug abusers

  • Forensic Sci Int. 2023 Mar:344:111578. doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2023.111578.
Jiaming Zheng 1,  Xin Wang 2,  Jiali Zhang 2,  Hang Ren 1,  Yunli Zhao 3,  Ping Xiang 4
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110000, China; Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Forensic Science Platform, Shanghai 200063, China.
  • 2 Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Forensic Science Platform, Shanghai 200063, China.
  • 3 School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110000, China. Electronic address: yunli76@163.com.
  • 4 Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Forensic Science Platform, Shanghai 200063, China. Electronic address: xiangping2630@163.com.
PMID: 36753839 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2023.111578
Abstract

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is one of the most widely abused hallucinogens, which can alter consciousness, produce mental disorder, and cause harmful behavior. 1-Propionyl-LSD (1 P-LSD), a novel derivative of LSD, has the similar hallucinogenic effect. It is a control substance in several countries. 1 P-LSD can act as a prodrug for LSD and is rapidly hydrolyzed to LSD in humans. Therefore, LSD use should be confirmed by the absence of 1 P-LSD and in the detection of LSD. Here, we describe a LC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous extraction of LSD, iso-LSD, 2-oxo-3-hydroxy-LSD, and 1 P-LSD from hair. Hair samples (25 mg) were pulverized by cryogenic grinding in methanol. The limits of detection were 0.2-1 pg/mg and the limits of quantification were 0.5-2 pg/mg. This method was validated and applied to hair samples from 18 suspects who may have used LSD. Segmental hair analysis revealed a decrease in the LSD concentrations from the proximal to the distill end, while 1 P-LSD was not detected in any hair segments. The interpretation of hair analysis results of LSD still remains difficult. Nevertheless, concentrations of LSD and iso-LSD in human hair from 18 LSD users were reported. LSD concentrations were from <LOQ to 4.0 pg/mg (n = 18, median 1.5 pg/mg) in the proximal 0-3 cm segment, from <LOQ to 1.8 pg/mg (n = 8) in the 3-6 cm segment, and from <LOQ to 0.6 pg/mg (n = 4) in the 6-9 cm segment. Iso-LSD ranged from <LOQ to 1.4 pg/mg (n = 4) in the 0-3 cm segment and was detectable only in one 3-6 cm segment. To our knowledge, this is the first study to monitor LSD together with 1 P-LSD in hair.

Keywords

1-Propionyl-LSD (1 P-LSD); Hair analysis; LC–MS/MS; Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD); Segmental hair.

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