Top 10 Forensic Compounds/Topics of 2016 – Identification and Extraction of Fentanyl and Its Newly Emerging Analogues

Mitragynine is a novel psychoactive substance (NPS) that has emerged as a designer opioid. Also known as kratom , it possesses both stimulant-like and sedative effects due to dual-binding of α-adrenergic and μ-opioid receptors. This herbal remedy is readily available online and can cause adverse effects including tachycardia, agitation, tremors, hallucination and death. In a recent article published in Journal of Analytical Toxicology by Trista H. Wright, UCT’s flagship sorbent, Clean Screen^® DAU, was employed to extract the drug from whole blood. The author reports that a suspect in a driving under the influence case admitted to using Mitragynine to a drug recognition expert (DRE) officer.

UCT is known around the world as the first company to commercialize the QuEChERS ((Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) approach and is proud to support facilities involved in food safety testing using this technique. In a new paper published in Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.6b05051) by S. Genualdi et al., (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Maryland, USA) the simultaneous analysis of 3- monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) and 1,3 dichloropropane-2-ol (1,3-DCP) was executed in asian style sauces. In this report UCT’s extraction mylar pouches (AOAC Blend) which include 6 g MgSO4 with 1.5 g of sodium acetate and dSPE clean-up pouches containing 400 mg of PSA and 400 mg of C18 were employed to perform the QuEChERS extraction prior to analysis of 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP. This new method utilized direct analysis of the extract without derivatization using gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). The developed method was applied to 60 genuine soy sauce samples to determine if concentrations have changed since the FDA limit was set in 2008.

UCT is widely recognized as the premier manufacturer of specialty chemicals by researchers working in the area of biological analysis and modeling. This is exemplified by a paper published in Biomaterials by X.Guo et al.,  ((2017) 122 179-187).  In their study,  they report the de novo induction of human intrafusal skeletal muscle fibers from satellite cells and their synaptic connection with human stem cell-derived sensory neurons in a defined in vitro system. As an integral part of the study, process microscope coverslips were coated with UCT’s silane trimethoxysilylpropyldiethylenetri-amine (DETA, T2910KG) and were used to produce a film by the reaction of the cleaned surfaces with a 0.1% (v/v) mixture of the organosilane in freshly distilled toluene. This film was employed to study the induction of intrafusal fibers which were characterized by morphology and fiber-type specific transcription factor expression using phase microscopy and immunocytochemistry.

In a recent article published in Lab on Chip by E.L. Jackson-Holmes et al., (DOI: 10.1039/C7LC00763A), tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrooctyl-1-trichlorosilane from UCT was integral in the production of a mold to perform their intended research. In the procedure, a master mold was fabricated by standard UV photolithography with the negative photoresist to create three layers of respective heights 200 μm, 100 μm, and 200 μm. In making the polydimethylsilane (PDMS) molding, the master was treated with the UCT silane vapor to allow release of the PDMS. These three-dimensional pluripotent stem cell (PSC) cultures have the ability to undergo differentiation, self-organization, and morphogenesis to yield complex, in vitro tissue models that recapitulate key elements of native tissues.  For more information on UCT specialty chemicals visit https://specialties.unitedchem.com/. 

UCT Inc., is known around the world as the premier manufacturer of Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) sorbents. It’s support for analysts performing testing in the field of environmental sample testing for public protection has been a core activity for over thirty years. In a recent paper published in Environmental Science Water Research & Technology ((2016), 2, 502) by D.L.McCurry et al., UCT’s Enviro Clean^® activated carbon SPE columns were employed to extract and analyze NMDA from water.