GEN-MKT-18-7897-A
Dec 16, 2016 | Blogs, Forensic | 0 comments
There is a lot you can tell from a droplet of blood as it’s snapshot of what could be present in a body at any given moment. In the following application note, LC-MS/MS Screening of 64 New Psychoactive Substances Using Dried Blood Spots, researchers did just that as they used dried blood spots (DBS) opposed to the more invasive venipuncture technique to detect 64 psychoactive substances in samples.
To accomplish this research a highly sensitive QTRAP® LC-MS/MS was used in Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) mode using the Scheduled MRM™ Algorithm. The importance of the method is that it can be expanded upon which is useful to government attempts at control the advent of new substances. When the European Monitoring System for Drugs and Addiction (EMCDDA) launched its Early Warning Program notification of new substances, for example, reported cases increased from 14 in 2008 to 98 in 2015.
As public awareness and government regulations like this become more profound, more accurate and less invasive testing methods are essential to keeping psychoactive substances off store shelves. In addition to sensitivity, the specimens can be easily stored, shipped, and maintained for future forensic testing.
In drug discovery and development, Metabolite Identification (Met ID) plays a critical role in understanding biotransformation pathways, ensuring safety, and meeting regulatory requirements. Advanced mass spectrometry techniques have revolutionized this process, particularly through electron-based fragmentation methods such as Electron Activated Dissociation (EAD) and Electron Transfer Dissociation (ETD). While both techniques leverage electron interactions to generate informative fragment ions, they differ significantly in mechanism, performance, and suitability for Met ID workflows.
In analytical laboratories, performance is not optional. Whether supporting regulated pharmaceutical workflows, high-throughput CRO operations, clinical reporting, or food and environmental testing, your mass spectrometry and capillary electrophoresis systems are critical to productivity, compliance, and scientific confidence.
Naturally occurring toxins are an unavoidable reality of today’s global food supply, and among them, alkaloids represent one of the most analytically challenging and safety‑critical compound classes. Produced by plants as natural defence mechanisms, alkaloids can unintentionally enter food through contamination, co‑harvesting, or adulteration, posing serious risks to consumer health and regulatory compliance.
Posted by
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Share this post with your network