Methods for impurity profiling of heroin and cocaine

54

Methods for impurity profiling of heroin and cocaine

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pp. 67-88.

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ANNEX I

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 

(FOR BOTH HEROIN AND COCAINE)

Physical examination of seizures

The physical examination of seizures has considerable value in establishing a possible 

linkage between samples. In that regard, the detailed examination of packaging materials

has proved particularly useful. The following brief outline provides the basis for one suc-

cessful approach:

(a)

Encode a description of known sample history; 

(b)

Encode a description of packaging to include:

(i)

Appearance of packaging material (colour, design, etc.);

(ii)

Number of wrapping layers;

(iii)

Adhesives;

(iv)

Chemical analysis of packaging materials.

X-ray diffraction

This is a well established method of acquiring information on cutting agents. The tech-

nique is especially useful for inorganic components. For some organic compounds, crystal

polymorphism can be a problem.

55

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ANNEX II

IMPURITIES IN HEROIN AND COCAINE

AND THEIR “SOURCES”

A.

Impurities in heroin and their sources

Detailed information on the primary alkaloidal constituents of heroin is available in the

United Nations manual Recommended Methods for Testing Opium, Morphine and Heroin:

Manual for Use by National Drug Testing Laboratories (ST/NAR/29/Rev.1).

In the tables below, major components are > 1% by weight (w/w); minor components

are usually < 1% w/w; and trace components are usually < 0.1% w/w (typically requiring

an extraction step).

Table 1.

Alkaloidal impurities in heroin and their sources

(a)

Major and minor components

Typical source

Acetylcodeine

Opium, codeine + Ac

2

O

a

3-O-Acetylmorphine

Opium, morphine + Ac

2

O

6-O-Acetylmorphine

Heroin + hydrolysis 

(small quantities from morphine + Ac

2

O) 

Codeine

Opium

Heroin (diacetylmorphine, diamorphine)

Opium, morphine + Ac

2

O

Morphine

Opium

Noscapine  {levo} narcotine – {racemic}

Opium

Papaverine

Opium

(b)

Heroin trace-level impurities

Typical source

(1R,9S)-1-Acetoxy-N-acetyl-

1,9-dihydro-anhydronornarceine

Noscapine + Ac

2

O

4-Acetoxy-3,6-dimethoxy-5-

[2-(N-methyl-acetamido)]ethylphenanthrene

Thebaine + Ac

2

O

4-Acetoxy-3,6-dimethoxy-8-

[2-(N-methyl-acetamido)]ethylphenanthrene

Thebaine + Ac

2

O

Delta

5,7,9(14)

-N-Acetyldesthebaine =unstable=

Thebaine + Ac

2

O

(E)-N-Acetylanhydronornarceine

Noscapine + Ac

2

O

(Z)-N-Acetylanhydronornarceine

Noscapine + Ac

2

O

N-Acetylnorlaudanosine

Norlaudanosine + Ac

2

O

N-Acetylnormorphine

Morphine + O

2

b

+ Ac

2

O + hydrolysis

N-Acetylnornarcotine 

Noscapine + O

2

+ Ac

2

O

4-O-Acetylthebaol

c

Thebaine + Ac

2

O

57

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