ABSTRACT
Tryptamine is the parent compound for one of the most popular families of the designer drugs. A number of analytical methods can be applied for the detection and identification of tryptamines. Ionization of molecules of the tryptamine-type designer drugs by a beam of electrons leads to characteristic breakdown of the bonds between the carbon atoms of the side chain. When considering the identification of tryptamines seized from the drug market or found in biological material as a result of intoxication, it is important to take into account their isomers originating from other chemical classes. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry is a very popular assay used in forensic laboratories investigating samples seized from the drug market. High-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection is the other technique that is commonly used in forensic and clinical laboratories. The retention time of a substance from the chromatographic column is a very important parameter used for verification of the presence of a compound in a sample.
