DETERMINATION OF OPIUM-ALKALOIDS IN CRUDE OPIUM USING NONAQUEOUS CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORESIS

A method for the quantitative determination of the opium alkaloids mor phine, codeine, thebaine, noscapine and papaverine in crude opium and in drug preparations based on non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis ha s been developed. The non-aqueous mode provides high separation select ivity and new possibilities for regulating the selectivity in capillar y electrophoresis. The nature of the organic solvent, the acidity of t he electrolytes as well as the temperature surrounding the capillary e xhibit a major influence on the separation selectivity.