In recent years, ecstasy trafficking has grown in complexity and tablets has been commonly sold containing different contents of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) or even other psychoactive substances. In contrast, identification and quantification of drugs of abuse is still a challenge, once the access to drug standards is very restricted in Brazil. In this work, ecstasy tablets seized by the Brazilian Federal Police have their chemical composition identified and quantified by gas chromatography and quantitative 1H nuclear magnetic resonance based on an internal standard approach (IS-1H-qNMR). Both methods were validated and showed suitable results for the figures of merit. IS-1H-qNMR shows excellent results of accuracy (relative error < 5%) and precision (relative standard deviation (RSD) < 2%). Comparatively, IS-1H-qNMR is more efficient and versatile than gas chromatography to accomplish in a single analysis the identification and quantification of target analytes. Since the method does not require a specific reference material, it is cost effective and provides agility to routine forensic analysis.

Ressonância magnética nuclear de ¹H de alta resolução com giro no ângulo mágico (HR-MAS NMR) é uma técnica empregada na avaliação de células e tecidos intactos. Entretanto, parâmetros bem estabelecidos de NMR são cruciais para a obtenção de resultados confiáveis. A fim de discutir as principais etapas envolvidas na otimização das análises de HR-MAS NMR, este artigo avaliou diferentes sequências de pulsos e parâmetros de NMR usando células de sarcoma 180 (S180). O completo assinalamento dos metabólitos de S180 é também apresentado para auxiliar estudos futuros.

High resolution magic angle spinning ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (HR-MAS NMR) is a useful technique for evaluation of intact cells and tissues. However, optimal NMR parameters are crucial in obtaining reliable results. To identify the key steps for the optimization of HR-MAS NMR parameters, we assessed different pulse sequences and NMR parameters using sarcoma 180 (S180) cells. A complete assignment of the metabolites of S180 is given to assist future studies.