These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Identification of the date-rape drug GHB and its precursor GBL by Raman spectroscopy.
    Author: Brewster VL, Edwards HG, Hargreaves MD, Munshi T.
    Journal: Drug Test Anal; 2009 Jan; 1(1):25-31. PubMed ID: 20355156.
    Abstract:
    Gamma hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), also known as 'liquid ecstasy', has recently become associated with drug-facilitated sexual assaults, known colloquially as 'date rape', due to the ability of the drug to cause loss of consciousness. The drug is commonly found 'spiked' into alcoholic beverages, as alcohol increases its sedative effects. Gamma hydroxybutyric acid and the corresponding lactone gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) will reach an equilibrium in solution which favours the lactone in basic conditions and GHB in acidic conditions (less than pH 4). Therefore, we have studied both GHB and GBL, as a mildly acidic beverage 'spiked' with GHB will contain both GHB and GBL. We report the analysis of GHB as a sodium salt and GBL, its precursor, using bench-top and portable Raman spectroscopy. It has been demonstrated that we are able to detect GHB and GBL in a variety of containers including colourless and amber glass vials, plastic vials and polythene bags. We have also demonstrated the ability to detect both GBL and GHB in a range of liquid matrices simulating 'spiked' beverages.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]