ALKALOID DETERMINATION IN CRUDE EXTRACTS FROM CORTEX QUEBRACHO AND OPIUM APPLYING CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORESIS AND CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORESIS MASS-SPECTROMETRY COUPLING

The applicability of capillary electrophoresis with UV and electrospra y ionisation (ESI)-mass spectrometric detection to the determination o f alkaloids in crude extracts of Cortex Quebracho and Opium has been i nvestigated. The use of a buffer electrolyte consisting of aqueous amm onium acetate (pH 3.1) and acetonitrile resulted in a high performance of peak resolution. Most of the alkaloids have been identified accord ing to the signal of the protonated molecular ion in the ESI mass spec trum.