Differentiation of Solanaceae psychoactive plants based on GC-MS analysis supported by chemometric tools

• Published in: Microchemical journal Vol. 150; p. 104098
• Main Authors: Ciechomska, Monika, Woźniakiewicz, Michał, Machlowska, Karolina, Klepacki, Piotr, Kościelniak, Paweł
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.11.2019
• Subjects: Atropine; Chemometrics; PCA; Scopolamine; Solanaceae; Atropine; Scopolamine; Solanaceae; Chemometrics; CA; PCA
• ISSN: 0026-265X; 1095-9149
• DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2019.104098

Among Solanaceae plants, there are many which contain psychoactive or toxic compounds as atropine and scopolamine. They could be legally planted as ornamental plants or might be found growing widely. This is why they are a frequent subject of abuse sometimes followed by intoxication, and thus they are a subject of forensic examination. The differentiation between particular genera using only the concentration of atropine and scopolamine might be misleading as the variability between particular plants is not negligible. In this work, the chemometric methods were used to solve this problem. Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis have been employed in the discrimination between leaves and seeds originated from such Solanaceae plants as Datura metel, Datura stramonium, Brugmansia pittieri, Datura inoxia, Scopolia carniolica, Scopolia lurida, Atropa belladonna and Hyoscyamus niger using the microwave-assisted extraction followed by the GC–MS analysis. Analytical data were processed according to the self-build GC–MS database for components recognition. This enabled the differentiation between plant samples and moreover, some differences between plants growing area have been also exemplified. •Distinguishing of psychoactive Solanaceae plants may be of interest of forensic experts.•Principal component and cluster analyses were used to differentiate Solanaceae plants.•172 compounds detected by GC–MS were taken under consideration.•Atropine and scopolamine were determined in ten species from Solanaceae family.