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Headspace constituents of opium
G Buchbauer1, A Nikiforov, B Remberg
1Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Austria.
Planta Medica
|April 1, 1994
Summary
Researchers identified key aroma compounds in medicinal opium. Pyrazines were found to be crucial for opium
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Organic Chemistry
- Pharmacognosy
Background:
- Medicinal opium's characteristic odor is complex and not fully understood.
- Identifying key aroma compounds is essential for quality control and authentication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize the volatile organic compounds responsible for the odor of medicinal opium.
- To correlate specific chemical components with the perceived aroma profile.
Main Methods:
- Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detection (GC-FID)
- Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) with electron ionization (EI)
- Gas Chromatography-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (GC-FTIR)
- Gas Chromatography-Olfactometry (GC-sniffing)
- Correlation tests with trained police dogs
Main Results:
- Over 70 components were identified in the opium headspace.
- Pyrazines were identified as a key class of compounds contributing to opium's characteristic odor.
- A synthetic mixture of specific pyrazines closely replicated the original opium aroma.
Conclusions:
- Pyrazines are critical aroma contributors to medicinal opium.
- The identified pyrazines can serve as markers for opium authentication and quality assessment.