Advisory Committee Chair
Elizabeth Gardner
Advisory Committee Members
Ellen Mwenesongole
Eugenia Kharlampieva
Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
1-1-2025
Degree Name by School
Master of Science in Forensic Science (MSFS) College of Arts and Sciences
Abstract
Gas stations and head shops are a seemingly safe and legal marketplace for drug purchase. However, although marketed as dietary supplements or cognitive enhancers, the products sold there have been known to contain psychoactive substances which may be mislabeled or actually contain regulated substances. This study investigates the composition of such products, specifically those labeled as kratom and non-kratom Mitragyna species using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and those labeled as phenibut using GC-MS and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Samples were acquired from retailers in the Birmingham, AL area. The products underwent both qualitative and quantitative analysis of their ingredients in an effort to both identify the ingredients and gain information on the product’s percent composition. The results indicate that products labeled as Mitragyna hirsuta and Mitragyna javanica contained mitragynine, an alkaloid only found in Mitragyna speciosa (kratom), contradictory to their labeling. This raises concerns regarding compliance with regulations and the risks to consumers caused by mislabeled products. Upon GC-MS analysis of the products labeled as containing phenibut, 4-phenyl-2-pyrrolidinone was detected, suggesting thermal cyclization. FTIR confirmed the presence of phenibut in one sample, however, led to inconclusive results in the others. The findings highlight the potential mislabeling of products and uncontrolled distribution of psychoactive substances by retailers. In Alabama, kratom is a schedule 1 drug and phenibut is a schedule 2 drug. Therefore, the sale of these products is in violation of state regulations, highlighting the need for continuous monitoring of these marketplaces. Future research should continue the analysis of alternatives of kratom as they are introduced to the market. Additionally, the techniques used in the analysis of phenibut products would be improved upon by enhanced derivatization and extraction protocols.
Recommended Citation
Joos, Megan, "Analysis Of Gas Station Drugs Using Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry And Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy" (2025). All ETDs from UAB. 6851.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/6851
Comments
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