Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences, Vol 27 No 5 (2023): 1111 - 1125

 

DETECTION AND IDENTIFICATION OF ILLICIT DRUGS IN VAPE LIQUID SAMPLES USING THE ENZYME MULTIPLIED IMMUNOASSAY TECHNIQUE, THIN LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY AND GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY-MASS SPECTROMETRY

 

(Pengesanan dan Pengenalpastian Dadah Terlarang dalam Sampel Cecair Vape Menggunakan Kaedah Imunoasai Berganda Enzim, Kromatografi Lapisan Nipis

dan Kromatografi Gas Spektrometri Jisim)

 

Low Jen Hou1,2, Wan Nur Syuhaila Mat Desa3 , Halijah Miran1,2, Wan Nazirah Wan Yusuf1,2 and Ruzilawati Abu Bakar1,*

 

1Department of Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia Health Campus, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.

 2Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.

3Forensic Science Programme, School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia Health Campus, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author: ruzila@usm.my

 

 

Received: 22 June 2023; Accepted: 4 October 2023; Published:  30 October 2023

 

Abstract

Vaping is a common phenomenon in the world including in Malaysia, and one that involves all strata of society. Recently, vaping has become an unintended mode of delivery for various illicit drugs of abuse. The objective of this study is to detect and identify the presence of illicit substances including opiates, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS), benzodiazepines (BZD), barbiturates, phencyclidine, ketamine and mitragynine in three vape liquid samples provided by the National Anti-Drugs Agency (NADA), Kelantan, Malaysia. Some of these drugs have been linked to fainting episodes after vaping. The samples were analysed using enzyme multiplied immunoassay technique (EMIT), thin layer chromatography (TLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). One of the samples was found to contain ketamine (the band was seen on the TLC plate and the result was further confirmed using GC-MS, with 99% match) with an estimated concentration of at least 25000 ng/mL by linear extrapolation of the calibration curve. Two other samples were noted to contain nicotine (bands were seen on TLC plate and also confirmed by GC-MS). Ketamine abuse is not widely reported because the vast majority of drug-screening setups do not offer testing for ketamine. Ultimately, vape liquid samples in this study were found to contain illicit drugs such as ketamine and nicotine. This suggest that tighter regulation would help curb this health bane on society.

 

Keywords: vape, illicit drugs, enzyme multiplied immunoassay technique, thin layer chromatography, gas chromatography mass spectrometry

 

Abstrak

Vape  atau rokok elektronik merupakan fenomena yang lazim di dunia termasuklah di Malaysia melibatkan semua lapisan masyarakat. Kebelakangan ini vape telah menjadi salah satu cara  penggunaan dadah terlarang. Objektif kajian ini untuk mengesan dan mengenalpasti dadah terlarang termasuk opiat, tetrahidrokanabinol (THC), amphetamine-type stimulant (ATS), benzodiazepin (BZD), barbiturat, phencyclidine, ketamin and mitragynine yang terdapat di dalam 3 sampel vape daripada pihak Agensi Anti Dadah Kebangsaan (AADK), Kelantan, Malaysia yang mana telah dikaitkan dengan keadaan tidak sedarkan diri pengguna vape tersebut. Sampel-sampel tersebut telah dianalisa dengan menggunakan kaedah imunoasai berganda enzim, kromatografi lapisan nipis dan kromatografi gas spektrometri jisim. Salah satu sampel didapati mengandungi ketamin (Jalur yg berkenaan kelihatan pada plat TLC dan disahkan oleh GC-MS dengan 99% kepastian) dengan kepekatan yang dianggarkan sekurang-kurangnya 25000 ng/mL daripada unjuran lengkung kalibrasi. Dua sampel yang lain didapati mengandungi nikotin (jalur yang berkenaan kelihatan pada plat TLC dan disahkan melalui GC-MS). Penyalahgunaan ketamin kurang dilaporkan kerana kebanyakan pusat saringan untuk pengesanan dadah tidak menawarkannya. Sebagai kesimpulan, sampel cecair vape dalam kajian ini didapati mengandungi dadah terlarang (ketamin) dan nikotin. Penguatkuasaan undang-undang yang lebih ketat mungkin diperlukan untuk membantu menangani kemudaratan kesihatan ini dalam masyarakat.

 

Kata kunci: vape, dadah terlarang, teknik imun berganda enzim, kromatografi lapisan nipis, kromatografi gas-spektrometer jisim

 

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