Heroin Samples Research Articles

LEUCOENCEPHALOPATHY AFTER INHALING "HEROIN" PYROLYSATE

47 patients with spongiform leucoencephalopathy but no other consistent abnormalities, except brown pigmentation of the alveolar macrophages in the lungs, are described. 11 patients have died. Epidemiological studies indicate as the cause of the illness the inhalatory use of poisoned heroin vapours (pyrolysate). The heroin is primarily sold on the black market in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Over 170 suspect heroin samples were collected for analysis of the possible poisonous factor. Although suspect, none of the samples could be unambiguously related to the observed illness. Chemical, toxicological, and histopathological investigations have not so far revealed the nature of the poisonous factor, but several neurotoxic agents that are known to cause comparable leucoencephalopathies have been ruled out. This appears to be the first manifestation of the poisonous potential of the unknown causative factor.

Combined use of fused silica capillary columns and nitrogen-phosphorus detection for the toxicological analysis of illicit heroin samples.

Capillary GC is applied to the toxicological analysis of illicit heroin samples. The combined use of a permanently deactivated fused silica capillary column, and a nitrogen-phosphorus detector (NPD), allows the separation and determination of nanogram amounts of underivatised opiates, using a direct injection technique.

High pressure liquid chromatography analysis of heroin

A liquid-solid chromatographic system is described that will separate heroin from 26 substances encountered in heroin seizures. The effects of ammonia and water concentration on the retention of the drug substances were investigated. Three ‘brown’ heroin samples were analyzed by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and by gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) and the results evaluated and compared.

Endotoxin Content of Street Heroin

To the Editor. —Infections are major medical complications of drug abuse. 1,2 Patients seen initially with fever and a history of parenteral drug abuse should be admitted to a hospital and their condition evaluated for infection. Although drug withdrawal itself can cause fever, similar to that seen in delirium tremens in an alcohol user, there is no way to rule out infection based on the initial clinical and laboratory data. Empirical antibiotic therapy is usually begun for these patients after appropriate cultures are obtained. 3 There is a subgroup of these patients with fever in which cultures are negative and an infection cannot be verified. In addition, a previous study showed that Gram-negative organisms could be cultured from samples of street heroin. 4 Could endotoxin contamination of the injected materials be the cause of the fever in these patients? Furthermore, some of the drug abusers experience sudden death after injection of

Antimicrobial activity of street heroin.

Street heroin and injection paraphernalia have been implicated as sources of bacteria causing infections in drug abusers [1]. Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Bacillus cereus are common etiologic agents. In a previous study of the microbiology of street heroin and injection paraphernalia, Bacillus species was the predominant isolate [2]. We did not find S. aureus, but one study reported isolates of identical phage type from heroin powder and from an infected patient [3]. To reconcile the results of our recent investigation among drug abusers with panophthalmitis, we theorized that the drug mixture might have an antibacterial effect. Of the samples of street heroin tested, all except one were bactericidal against S. aureus. The single sample with no heroin content was not bactericidal against one isolate of S. aureus and was the only sample that exhibited some degree of inhibitory and bactericidal activity against P. aeruginosa. All samples were bactericidal against the two isolates of B. cereus tested. Quinine exhibited bactericidal activity against S. aureus and B. cereus but was ineffective against P. aeruginosa. Our findings indicate that most samples of street heroin have antibacterial effects against S. aureus and B. cereus but no activity against P. aeruginosa. Such activity may be due to the quinine content of the mixture. The apparent lack of recovery of S. aureus from street heroin may be partially explained by this phenomenon.

Fingerprint analysis of illicit heroin samples by gas chromatography

For the fingerprint analysis of illicit heroin samples a gas Chromatographic assay has been developed capable of detecting the main components: acetylcodeine, caffeine, codeine, diamorphine, 6-monoacetylmorphine (6-Mam), morphine and quinine, in one run within 25 min. Diamorphine, morphine, codeine and caffeine can be quantitated directly, but as 6-Mam and acetylcodeine are not fully separated quantitation of the latter two requires acetylation of 6-Mam to diamorphine.

Gas chromatographic analysis of illicit heroin samples.

Morphine and 6-acetylmorphine in illicit heroin samples can be easily determined by propionylation in aqueous solution (disodium hydrogen phosphate buffer). Heroin, 3-propionylmorphine and 6-acetyl-3-propionylmorphine are separated on methyl-phenylpolysiloxane liquid phases (5% phenyl content). The analytical procedure and the corresponding statistical data are presented together with the retention indices of typical street heroin concomitant drugs. The procedure can also be applied to the analysis of opium preparations and very dilute heroin (morphine) samples.

Heroin Abuse and a Gas Chromatographic Method for Determining Illicit Heroin Samples in Singapore

The abuse of heroin (diacetylmorphine) in Singapore escalated sharply in 1975 and 1976, as indicated by the 35-fold increase in the number of heroin seizures and the 20-fold increase in the urine samples containing morphine since 1974. A rapid and simple GC method has been described to estimate diacetylmorphine (and caffeine). Monoacetylmorphine and acetylcodeine may be ascertained by an additional step involving acetylation. All gas chromatograms of a large number of samples analyzed consistently had the same pattern, indicating that they possibly had a common origin. This GC "fingerprint," together with the quantitative data, appears to be characteristic of the illicit Asian or Chinese type of heroin found in Singapore. The proportions of the four major ingredients in some twelve typical samples have been tabulated. Statistical data confirming the accuracy and reproducibility of the analytical method have also been presented.

High Pressure Liquid Chromatographic Separation of Dyes Encountered in Illicit Heroin Samples

Abstract Over the last several years an increasingly large number of illicit heroin samples of the brown variety have contained dyes. STRIDE data analysis for the time period from August 1974 to December 1975 indicates that coloring matter was detected in 26% of the brown heroin submissions to the Southwest Regional Laboratory in San Diego. Apparently a formulation of dyes is used in the heroin dilution process to disguise the addition of adulterants that are normally white in their natural state. The resultant mixture maintains a relatively dark color and the diluted product is more easily sold as a high quality brown heroin.

Analysis of heroin in relation to illicit drug traffic

The quantitative composition of 32 illicit heroin samples was determined. It seemed to be possible to draw conclusions about the common origin or common trade route of different samples.

A Comparison of Some Mass Spectrometric Ionization Techniques Using Samples of Morphine and Illegal Heroin

Abstract The precise identification of drugs in body fluids or in illegal preparations may be accomplished by the relatively sophisticated techniques of mass spectrometry [1,2] or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry [2,3]. The application of these techniques to drug analysis is well documented [4–6]. Recently, more attention has been paid to the type of mass spectra produced by different methods of ionization [7]. The most useful mass spectrum for many applications is one in which the molecular ion is large and unambiguous. However, some fragmentation is often a desirable feature because this may help to confirm the identity of a compound, differentiate isomers, or assist in elucidating the structure of an unknown. High pressure ionization methods have been found to be particularly useful for drug identification since they often produce the base peak of the spectrum in the molecular ion region, thus serving to identify the molecular weight of the compound. However, some compounds, notably heroin and morphine, fragment easily when ionized with the high pressure reagent gases used so far.

Microbiologic study of street heroin and injection paraphernalia.

One hundred samples of heroin and 100 of injection paraphernalia were cultured. A wide variety of microorganisms were found. The heroin contained Bacillus species, Staphylococcus albus, fungi, Clostridium perfringens, and (rarely) gramnegative bacilli. The same organisms were recovered from the injection paraphernalia, along with a variety of gram-negative bacilli among which Escherichia coli predominated. Not one coagulase-positive Staphylococcus was isolated, despite the fact that this organism is the most common cause of infections in our addict population; thus, the addicts themselves are probably the source of Staphylococcus

Purity Profiles for Heroin, Morphine, and Morphine Hydrochloride

Purity profiles were established for samples of heroin (diacetylmorphine), morphine, and morphine hydrochloride in order to define the scope of utility of each as qualitative and/or quantitative analytical standards. Systems for solubility analysis and high-pressure liquid chromatography were investigated. A heroin synthesis affording a product of high purity is described.

A rapid screening procedure for some “street-drugs” by thin-layer chromatography : II. Cocaine, heroin, local anesthetics and mixtures

The extraction of illicit cocaine and heroin (diacetylmorphine) samples with 95% ethanol and subsequent analysis on pre-coated thin layers of silica gel (Merck) made the tentative identification of cocaine, heroin and some local anesthetics possible. Two detecting reagents were used, p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde and acidic iodoplatinate. p-Dimethylaminobenzaldehyde was used for the detection of procaine, butacaine and benzocaine, acidic iodoplatinate for cocaine, heroin and some local anesthetics. The thin-layer chromatographically derived characteristics of cocaine, heroin, benzocaine, procaine, and lidocaine were unique, allowing for the relatively easy detection of these five compounds. The procedure is useful for the rapid screening of illicit cocaine and heroin samples for the presence or absence of the compounds listed. The unequivocal identity of these compounds is not established but the procedure does permit tentative identification.