Isolation and identification of the designer benzodiazepine cyclopropylflualprazolam in pressed candies marketed for sleep improvement.

A novel alprazolam analog was detected as an illegal additive in pressed candies marketed for sleep improvement using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-diode array detection (DAD). The compound was further isolated and purified via semi-preparative liquid chromatography, and its chemical structure was elucidated through high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The compound was identified as cyclopropylflualprazolam. Since alprazolam is a psychotropic controlled substance, this finding has garnered significant attention from regulatory authorities. It is recommended that cyclopropylflualprazolam be included in the screening list of prohibited substances in functional foods.