Summary A procedure has been developed for the total analysis of an illicit narcotic sample using thin-layer chromatography. The sample is dissolved in water.
Any residue is removed by centrifugation for further analysis.
The organic and the aqueous phases are subjected independently to thin-layer chromatography. The results of the chromatography of the organic phase give the alkaloid constituents, and the results from the aqueous phase give the sugar constituents. The desired procedure was to determine all the constituents in the sample, be rapid, and require small amounts of the sample. The usual illicit sample contains the active narcotic drug and one or more diluents. These diluents may include alkaloids, sugars, and insoluble substances such as starch.