Chevigné R., Vanescote A.^*

Analis, rué Dewez 14, B-5000 Namur, Belgium
^* Labo Luc Olivier, B-4530 Villers-le-Bouillet, Belgium

Illicit drug seizures samples were analyzed on a PACE5000 capillary electrophoresis instrument with Diode Array Detector (DAD) and a 75 µ x 27 cm capillary. Two different buffers (MEKC pH 11 and CZE pH 2) were used for the separation and identification of tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants, barbiturates and benzodiazepines. Also, all common drugs of abuse and relative adulterants (MDA, MDEA, MDMA, Ephedrine (Eph), NorEphedrine (NorEph), PseudoEphedrine (PseudoEph), and homologs, morphinics, methadone, cocaine, LSD, cannabinoids, lidocaine, strychnine, quinine, nicotinamide, isonicotinamide, caffeine, paracetamol, phenacetin, acetylsalicylic acid) were clearly separated with the buffer MEKC but without chiral recognition.
With the CZE buffer morphine and codeine, cannabis derivatives and neutral adulterants comigrated. Adding dimethyl-ß-cyclodestrine (DMßCD) to the CZE buffer allows to get a clear separation between morphine and codeine and other morphine derivatives while allowing chiral resolution of Eph, NorEph and homologs. Analysing an unknown sample using the combination of both buffers identifies unambiguously the components based on their migration times and their spectra. Capillary electrophoresis is rapid (total analysis time of 6 minutes using MEKC buffer and 13 minutes using CZE with DMßCD), sensitive (detection level of 10 µg/mL), reproducible (CV of migration time below 0.5%) and requires only one single step to prepare the sample by dissolving it in methanol which is directly injected preventing thus any hydrolysis of mono or diacetylmorphine. Furthermore, both buffers being aqueous allow analysis and recording the spectrum starting from 190 nm where Eph, amphetamines and morphinics have the greater adsorbance and display slight variation in their spectra.
Examples of analysis of seized illicit drugs are displayed.