Abstract:
BACKGROUND:Powdery drugs such as cocaine and heroin are frequently adulterated or diluted predominantly to obtain more doses and to increase the drug dealer's profits, but also to enhance, to modify or to oppose drug effects. The aim of this report is to provide an overview of the recent scientific literature on medicines as well as on new psychoactive substances, used as cutting agents (i.e. pharmacologically active adulterants) and on the related adverse health effects on consumers, possibly due to the synergistic effect of the adulterants laced with substances of abuse. METHOD:A literature search up to January 2017 was performed on MEDLINE, Scopus and Web of Science and reports and documents of international agencies or institutions were also searched. RESULTS:Pharmacologically active substances such as: paracetamol, caffeine, dextromethorphan, clenbuterol for heroin; levamisole, phenacetine, lidocaine, hydroxyzine and diltiazem for cocaine; caffeine and phentermine for amphetamine, have been identified over the years. Furthermore, since cocaine and morphine (this latter as a precursor of heroin) are both extracted from natural products, some impurities and minor alkaloids can be present in the final preparation. In this context, it is worth considering that new psychoactive substances are also used as cutting agents. CONCLUSION:The wide availability of illicit psychotropic drugs is the most serious hazard threatening consumers. Indeed emergency departments are often responsible in evaluating damages caused not only by the base substance, but also by other eventual compounds added to mimic or antagonize drug effects or simply dilute the drug amount, with a possible harmful synergic toxic action.
journal_name
Curr Pharm Biotechnoljournal_title
Current pharmaceutical biotechnologyauthors
Solimini R,Rotolo MC,Pellegrini M,Minutillo A,Pacifici R,Busardò FP,Zaami Sdoi
10.2174/1389201018666170710184531subject
Has Abstractpub_date
2017-01-01 00:00:00pages
524-530issue
7eissn
1389-2010issn
1873-4316pii
CPB-EPUB-84671journal_volume
18pub_type
杂志文章,评审abstract::Essential oils have increased interest as promising ingredients for novel pharmaceutical dosage forms. These oils are reported to provide synergistic effects of their active ingredients, in parallel with their biodegradable properties. In addition, essential oils may also have therapeutic effects in diabetes, inflamma...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
doi:10.2174/1389201016666150206111253
更新日期:2015-01-01 00:00:00
abstract::Elaboration of the structure of TRPV1 and its functional relationship with channel activity is a work in progress, with much remaining to be done before the structure-function relationship of TRPV1 is comprehensively elicited. The result is that the present state of knowledge can reasonably be described as a patch-wor...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
doi:10.2174/138920111793937934
更新日期:2011-01-01 00:00:00
abstract:AIMS:Candida species is the common cause of opportunistic fungal infections all over the world with increased mortality and morbidity especially in immunosuppressed patients. Fluconazole is the first line therapy for candidiasis. The antifungal resistance pattern in high-risk patients is a major concern. The present st...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.2174/1389201019666180515104800
更新日期:2018-01-01 00:00:00
abstract::As an important nano-material, nano-copper oxide particles (CuO-ENPs) harbor a vast range of characteristics, including electronic correlation effect, thermal stability, catalytic activity, sterilization and other properties. At present, the mechanism of ecotoxicological effects of CuO-ENPs is not yet clear, and has b...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.2174/1389201021666201229111251
更新日期:2020-12-28 00:00:00
abstract::Charged-hydrophobic mixed mode chromatography methods have been applied to antibody purification for decades and have focused more recently on the specific task of aggregate removal. They exploit various combinations of alkyl and aromatic hydrophobic groups with positively and/or negatively charged residues. Charge an...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
doi:10.2174/138920109788488888
更新日期:2009-06-01 00:00:00
abstract::It is now widely believed that tumors originate from normal cells as a result of accumulated genetic/epigenetic changes. These alterations affect the signaling pathways at transcriptional and post-transcriptional level that drive cells into uncontrolled cell division, growth, and migration. Recent advancement of molec...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
doi:10.2174/138920108785915102
更新日期:2008-10-01 00:00:00
abstract::A variety of technologies can be used in the detection of contagious pathogens. In the early stage of an outbreak of a new infectious disease, rtPCR is advantageous over many other assays. The rtPCR can be developed either using low fidelity DNA polymerase or high fidelity DNA polymerase. The application of high fidel...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
doi:10.2174/138920110790725339
更新日期:2010-01-01 00:00:00
abstract::SARS-CoV 2 is a novel virus strain of Coronavirus, reported in China in late December 2019. Its highly contagious nature in humans has prompted WHO to designate the ongoing pandemic as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. At this moment, there is no specific treatment and the therapeutic strategies to d...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.2174/1389201021666200807111359
更新日期:2020-08-06 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Alternative medicine is available for those diseases which cannot be treated by conventional medicine. Ayurveda and herbal medicines are important alternative methods in which the treatment is done with extracts of different medicinal plants. This work is concerned with the evaluation of anti-stress bioactiv...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.2174/1389201021666191211152754
更新日期:2020-01-01 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE:Pseudomonas aeruginosa shows resistance to a large number of antibiotics, including carbapenems and third generation cephalosporin. According to the World Health Organization global report published in February 2017, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is on the priority list among resistant bacteria, for whi...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.2174/1389201020666190719123133
更新日期:2019-01-01 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:To date, an increasing number of pet owners, especially in the USA, are using cannabis-derived products containing generally delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) to help their animals' health. Unfortunately, studies on the clinical use of cannabinoids in veterinary medicine are still limi...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.2174/1389201018666171122115815
更新日期:2017-01-01 00:00:00
abstract::To better identify patients at high risk for cardiovascular events, several markers of risk have been proposed for use in screening. Recently, oxidative stress and inflammation have been evaluated as potential tools for prediction of the risk of cardiovascular events. Among them, we have measured reactive oxygen speci...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
doi:10.2174/138920106776597612
更新日期:2006-04-01 00:00:00
abstract::Excessive cell proliferation contributes to the pathobiology of human diseases with a high health and socio-economic impact, including cancer and vascular occlusive diseases (e. g., atherosclerosis, in-stent restenosis, transplant vasculopathy, and vessel bypass graft failure). Recent advances in the understanding of ...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
doi:10.2174/1389201033377977
更新日期:2003-02-01 00:00:00
abstract::Wound healing is a complex process that consists of several phases that range from coagulation, inflammation, accumulation of radical substances, to proliferation, formation of fibrous tissues and collagen, contraction of wound with formation of granulation tissue and scar. Since antiquity, vegetable substances have b...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:
更新日期:2016-07-21 00:00:00
abstract::The idea of cancer stem cell (CSC) has recently moved to the forefront of cancer research. There is still a lack of a widespread consensus on their description and definition. ,The increasing literature on CSCs has compelled researchers worldwide to rewrite the natural history of cancer including those cells as princi...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
doi:10.2174/138920111794295756
更新日期:2011-02-01 00:00:00
abstract::Lactobacilli are common microorganisms in diverse vegetables and meat products and several of these are also indigenous inhabitants in the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract of humans and animals where they are believed to have health promoting effects on the host. One of the highly appreciated probiotic effects is their ab...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
doi:10.2174/138920109787048571
更新日期:2009-01-01 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Alfalfa and red clover are the most widespread and most important perennial legumes, primarily used as a high-quality feed for livestock. Both alfalfa and red clover, as well as some other plant species from Fabaceae family, are a rich natural source of phytoestrogens, nonsteroidal compounds with an estrogen...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
doi:10.2174/1389201019666180730165917
更新日期:2018-01-01 00:00:00
abstract:AIMS:Globally Scientists are working to find more efficient antimicrobial drugs to treat microbial infections and kill drug-resistant bacteria. BACKGROUND:Despite the availability of numerous antimicrobial drugs bacterial infections still poses a serious threat to global health. Due to a constant decline in the effect...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.2174/1389201022666210119101522
更新日期:2021-01-18 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:The re-emerging of targeting Dihydroorotate Dehydrogenase (DHODH) in cancer treatment particularly Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) has corroborated the substantial role of DHODH in cancer and received the attention of many pharmaceutical industries. OBJECTIVE:The effects of Brequinar Sodium (BQR) and 4SC-1...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.2174/1389201021666200611113734
更新日期:2020-01-01 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Semaphorin 3B (SEMA3B) is characterized as a strong suppressing factor of the proliferation of cancerous cells and also by its anti-angiogenic effect. However, the knowledge on the changes in the expression profile of SEMA3B under the influence of cisplatin in endometrial cancer remains fragmented. The aim o...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.2174/1389201021666200514215839
更新日期:2020-01-01 00:00:00
abstract::The design and development of novel biological drugs are among the most exciting new areas of biotechnology which are gaining the attention of scientists. In the last few decades several fabrication processes have been proposed and developed for the production of recombinant growth factors. However, traditional produc...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.2174/138920101705160303165312
更新日期:2016-01-01 00:00:00
abstract::Recent technological advances in NMR methods and instrumentation are having a significant impact in structural biology. These innovations are also impacting pharmaceutical biotechnology as it is now possible to use NMR spectroscopy to rapidly characterize a growing number of prospective protein drugs and protein drug ...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
doi:10.2174/1389201053642367
更新日期:2005-04-01 00:00:00
abstract:OBJECTIVE:RA is one of autoimmune diseases, has drawn great attention of the world. Currently, the anti- IL-1β monoclonal antibody Canakinumab (ACZ885) for treatment of RA has entered into clinical trials. However, Full length antibody has large molecular weight, and is difficult to penetrate the tissue or the nidus. I...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.2174/138920101131400223
更新日期:2013-01-01 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Bacteriophages are viruses, which are obligate parasites of specific bacteria for the completion of their lifecycle. Bacteriophages could be the possible alternative to antibioticresistant bacterial diseases. With this objective, extensive research in different fields is published which are discussed in this...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
doi:10.2174/1389201021666191217111156
更新日期:2020-01-01 00:00:00
abstract::Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), a form of adult stem cells, are known to have a self-renewing property and the potential to specialize into a multitude of cells and tissues such as adipocytes, cartilage cells, and fibroblasts. MSCs can migrate and home to the desired target zone where inflammation is present. The uniqu...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.2174/1389201021666200907121530
更新日期:2020-09-07 00:00:00
abstract::In many signaling pathways, various factors have been isolated by molecular genetic studies and wholegenome analysis. Understanding the interactions among these factors is crucial to understanding the signaling process as a whole. Recent studies on auxin signaling in the regulation of plant growth and development have...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
doi:10.2174/138920101314151120122745
更新日期:2012-11-01 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:The development of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) poses a considerable threat to tuberculosis control programmes in Nigeria. There is an increase in the prevalence of MDR-TB worldwide both among new tuberculosis cases as well as previously-treated ones. There is also a rise in transmission of resi...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.2174/1389201021666200226100242
更新日期:2020-01-01 00:00:00
abstract:OBJECTIVE:In the present study, Solenostemma argel effervescent tablets were prepared from Argel methanolic extract. METHODS:The tablets were examined for their ability to impede carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced lipid peroxidation in mice liver. The antioxidant activities of the enzymes; super-oxide dismutase (SOD)...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.2174/1389201020666190617165300
更新日期:2019-01-01 00:00:00
abstract::Many cationic peptides with antimicrobial properties have been isolated from bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals. These peptides vary in molecular size, potency and spectra of activities. This report surveyed the literature to highlight the peptides that have antifungal activity and greatest potential for development...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
doi:10.2174/138920111796117265
更新日期:2011-08-01 00:00:00
abstract::Recent research has shown that the endogenous gas hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is a signalling molecule of considerable biological potential and has been suggested to be involved in a vast number of physiological processes. In the vascular system, H2S is synthesized from cysteine by cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE) in smooth mu...
journal_title:Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
doi:10.2174/138920111798280956
更新日期:2011-09-01 00:00:00