Principal opium alkaloids as possible biochemical markers for the source identification of Indian opium.

A total of 124 opium samples originating from different licit opium growing divisions of India were analyzed for their principal alkaloid (thebaine, codeine, morphine, papaverine, and narcotine) content by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) without derivatization or purification. Absence of papaverine in Bareilly, Tilhar, and most of the samples originating from Kota is a significant observation in relation to the source of Indian opium. Multiple discriminant analysis was applied to the quantitative principal alkaloid data to determine an optimal classifier in order to evaluate the source of Indian opium.

Application of capillary zone electrophoresis in the separation and determination of the principal gum opium alkaloids.

We describe the use of capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) for the qualitative and quantitative determination of major alkaloids (i.e., thebaine, codeine, morphine, papavarine and narcotine) in gum opium involving the analysis of alkaloids without derivatization or purification.