Rapid Determination of the Primary Alkaloids in Illicit Heroin by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Tandem Mass Spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS)

In addition to currently used methods of gas chromatography with flame ionization detector or mass spectroscopy detection (GC–FID and GC–MS) for the analysis of seized heroin, a novel rapid high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS) method for detection and quantification of the main alkaloids was developed. This method for detection and quantification of heroin, papaverine, noscapine, and acetyl thebaol was validated and applied to analysis of seized heroin street samples. The method is rapid (6 min) and implies a low solvent consumption (0.75 mL min−1), suitable as an alternative method for GC–MS for heroin samples stored at elevated temperatures. The method was successfully tested on seized heroin samples.