title: Analysis of carbohydrates in seized heroin using capillary electrophoresis.
abstract: Illicitly produced heroin is commonly cut with carbohydrates to increase bulk. The analysis of these solutes is important for legal and intelligence purposes. A capillary electrophoresis (CE) method was developed for the qualitative analysis of dextrose, lactose, sucrose, inositol, and mannitol in heroin exhibits. For this method, a 64 cm (55.5 cm to detector window) by 50 mum capillary was used with the Agilent Basic Anion Buffer modified to pH 12.1. This separation was performed at 25 degrees C with a voltage of 20 kV and indirect detection with 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid as the visualization reagent. The methodology is also applicable for the screening of inorganic and organic anions using indirect detection, and acidic adulterants using direct detection. For a run time of 13 min, the relative standard deviation (n = 6) of the methodology was better than 0.36% for migration times and less than 2.6% for corrected peak areas. For the analysis of carbohydrates and acidic adulterants in seized heroin, excellent agreement was obtained between CE and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Dulles, VA 20166, USA. islurie@adelphia.net
authors.forename: Ira
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lurie
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hays
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valentino