Espectrometria de massas associada a técnicas de ionização ambiente como alternativa para análise forense de medicamentos

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization, 10% of medical products circulating in low and middle-income countries are counterfeit or of low quality. This organization points out that tackling this problem must be based on prevention, detection and responses to incidents in order to form a virtuous circle. This work focused on characterizing medications sent for forensic examination to the forensic chemistry laboratory of the Institute of Criminalistics of the State of Minas Gerais and on developing analytical methodologies for these materials. Initially, a survey was carried out to characterize 6604 medicines, examined between 2018 and 2022, for which 8058 active ingredients were classified which, according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical, a classification endorsed by the WHO, corresponded to 37 pharmacological classes. Active ingredients from the anabolic and psychostimulant classes were the most frequently identified active ingredients. Special attention was paid to the growth in demand for expert analysis of “well-being” products, such as anti-obesity products, which increased by 163% in 2021 compared to the previous year. Furthermore, an evaluation of labeling information and pharmaceutical form for anabolic steroids was carried out, from which it was found that 55% of anabolic steroids had an active ingredient that did not comply with what was declared on their label. In the development of analytical methods, there was success in the identification of anabolic substances by mass spectrometry with Wooden Tip ionization (WT-MS) and Low Temperature Plasma (LTP-MS). The method for identifying the adulterants bisacodyl, fluoxetine and sibutramine in anti-obesity herbal medicines by WT-MS was also successful. It was observed, therefore, that the mass spectrometry technique with ambient ionization is an excellent option in the preliminary analysis of identification of target anabolic steroids and adulterants in anti-obesity herbal medicines, enabling use in cases where the quantity of sample seized is scarce. Finally, the initial tests to develop a method for identifying misoprostol by WT-MS and mass spectrometry with paper spray ionization, associated with online chemical derivatization, showed the potential to improve the sensitivity of its identification. The data generated in this work should contribute to the planning of experiments in the chemistry laboratory of the Institute of Criminalistics and could support public policies in the areas of health and safety.