Abstract
New psychoactive substances (NPS) such as synthetic cathinone (cathinone is a naturally occurring psychoactive substance in khat plant which has structural similarity with amphetamines), synthetic cannabinoids (structurally unrelated to tetrahydrocannabinol but interact with cannabinoid receptors in the brain), novel fentanyl analogs and opioid analogues are gaining popularity among drugs abusers. Severe toxicity and even fatality may result from abusing these drugs. Analytically these drugs are difficult to detect in urine or body fluids due to lack of commercially available immunoassays. In general chromatographic methods such as gas chromatography/mass spectrometry can be used for analysis of relatively volatile NPS. However, liquid chromatography combined with mass spectrometry or tandem mass spectrometry can be used for analysis of NPS. However, general lack of availability of pure drug standard for ceratin NPS is a challenge in developing assay for analysis of these compounds.
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