Abstract |
Illicit cocaine laboratories in South America have been adding phenyltetrahydroimidazothiazole enantiomers ( levamisole and/or tetramisole) to refined illicit cocaine for over 8 years. A chiral capillary gas chromatographic methodology is presented for phenyltetrahydroimidazothiazole enantiomer determination in illicit cocaine samples and in the urine of cocaine abusers. Illicit cocaine samples (N = 752) and urine specimens from cocaine abusers (N = 50) that contained phenyltetrahydroimidazothiazole were analyzed for enantiomeric composition. Legitimate commercial preparations of phenyltetrahydroimidazothiazole are either 100% levamisole or a 50:50 mixture of levamisole and dexamisole ( tetramisole). Specimens that contain phenyltetrahydroimidazothiazole mixtures that are other than 50:50 preparations will be enhanced in one isomer over the other, and they are referred to as either " levamisole-enhanced" or " dexamisole-enhanced". Cocaine samples were found to contain levamisole (N = 495, 66%), tetramisole (N = 143, 19%), and levamisole-enhanced enrichment (N = 114, 15%); urine specimens contained levamisole (N = 23, 46%), levamisole-enhanced enrichment (N = 10, 20%), and dexamisole-enhanced enrichment (N = 13, 26%). The toxicological and forensic aspects of these findings are discussed.
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Authors | John F Casale, Valerie L Colley, Donald F Legatt |
Journal | Journal of analytical toxicology
(J Anal Toxicol)
Vol. 36
Issue 2
Pg. 130-5
(Mar 2012)
ISSN: 1945-2403 [Electronic] England |
PMID | 22337783
(Publication Type: Journal Article)
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Chemical References |
- Levamisole
- Tetramisole
- Cocaine
- dexamisole
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Topics |
- Chromatography, Gas
(methods)
- Cocaine
(urine)
- Cocaine-Related Disorders
(urine)
- Flame Ionization
(methods)
- Forensic Toxicology
- Humans
- Levamisole
(urine)
- Seizures
(chemically induced, pathology)
- South America
- Specimen Handling
- Stereoisomerism
- Tetramisole
(urine)
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