Forensic Toxicology of New Psychoactive Substances

Forensic toxicology of new psychoactive substances (NPS) addresses the detection, identification and interpretation of rapidly emerging designer compounds in legal and clinical settings. These substances span a wide chemical spectrum—synthetic cannabinoids, cathinones, phenethylamines, nitazenes and beyond—and pose analytical challenges due to their structural diversity, low dosages and ongoing molecular modification to evade control. Laboratories must combine chromatographic separation, mass spectrometric detection and immunochemical screening with robust workflows to discriminate positional isomers, quantify trace levels in biological matrices and interpret concentration data in light of pharmacodynamics and toxicology. Advances in high-resolution mass spectrometry, metabolomic profiling and in vitro pharmacological assays are enhancing forensic capacity to characterise novel analogues, while standardised blood concentration databases and structure–activity relationship models support risk assessment and judicial evidence. Global collaboration and real-time intelligence sharing further underpin rapid adaptation of analytical protocols, regulatory scheduling and harm-reduction strategies.

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Forensic Toxicology of New Psychoactive Substances publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in forensic toxicology of new psychoactive substances across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Forensic toxicology: The discipline applying analytical chemistry and pharmacology to detect and interpret drugs and poisons in legal investigations.

New Psychoactive Substances (NPS): Designer compounds with psychoactive effects not covered by existing drug legislation.

Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS): An analytical technique combining chromatographic separation with mass spectrometric detection to identify and quantify compounds.

Positional isomers: Molecules sharing the same formula but differing in the location of functional groups, challenging to distinguish analytically.

µ-Opioid receptor (MOR): A central nervous system receptor mediating opioid analgesia and respiration depression, targeted by nitazene analogues.

Structure–Activity Relationship (SAR): The correlation of chemical structure modifications with changes in biological activity, guiding toxicological and pharmacological assessment.

References

1. Chemical identification and differentiation of positional isomers of novel psychoactive substances – A comprehensive review. TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry (2023).
2. An overview of recent developments in the analytical detection of new psychoactive substances (NPSs). Analyst (2015).
3. Characterization of novel nitazene recreational drugs: Insights into their risk potential from in vitro µ-opioid receptor assays and in vivo behavioral studies in mice. Pharmacological Research (2024).
4. Revisited: Therapeutic and toxic blood concentrations of more than 1100 drugs and other xenobiotics. Critical Care (2020).
5. Harm reduction and knowledge exchange—a qualitative analysis of drug-related Internet discussion forums. Harm Reduction Journal (2014).