YAKHAK HOEJI (약학회지)

The Pharmaceutical Society of Korea (대한약학회)
권호 표지

Discrimination of the Origin of Ephedrine and Pseudoephedrine for Pharmaceutical Powder Materials by Carbon and Nitrogen Stable Isotope Ratio Analysis

$^{13}C$ 및 $^{15}N$ 안정성 동위원소 비율 분석에 의한 원료의약품에서 에페드린 및 슈도에페드린의 기원 판별

  • Baeck, Seung-Kyung (Forensic Science Department, National Institute Scientific Investigation) ;
  • Jang, Moon-Hee (Forensic Science Department, National Institute Scientific Investigation) ;
  • Makino, Yukiko (Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo) ;
  • Jeong, Jin-Il (Forensic Science Department, National Institute Scientific Investigation) ;
  • Yang, Won-Kyang (Forensic Science Department, National Institute Scientific Investigation) ;
  • Choi, Hwa-Kyung (Forensic Science Department, National Institute Scientific Investigation) ;
  • Chung, Hee-Sun (Forensic Science Department, National Institute Scientific Investigation) ;
  • Pyo, Myung-Yun (College of Pharmacy, Sookmyung Women's University) ;
  • Nagano, Tetsuo (Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo)
  • 백승경 (국립과학수사연구소 법과학부) ;
  • 장문희 (국립과학수사연구소 법과학부) ;
  • ;
  • 정진일 (국립과학수사연구소 법과학부) ;
  • 양원경 (국립과학수사연구소 법과학부) ;
  • 최화경 (국립과학수사연구소 법과학부) ;
  • 정희선 (국립과학수사연구소 법과학부) ;
  • 표명윤 (숙명여자대학교 약학대학) ;
  • Received : 2009.07.06
  • Accepted : 2009.08.10
  • Published : 2009.10.31
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Abstract

The abuse of methamphetamine (MA) is one of the most serious drug abuses in Asia. And, the prevention of precursor production for abuse drug is one of the most effective drug control system. Isotope ratio analysis at natural abundance levels have been used to establish the environmental source or the geographic origin of various biological and nonbiological materials. Ephedrine, the precursor of MA, is produced by one of three methods; extraction from Ephedra plants, full chemical synthesis or via a semi-synthetic process involving the fermentation of sugar, followed by amination. We investigated the origin of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine based on the carbon and nitrogen values for nineteen pharmaceutical powder materials (PPMs) obtained from pharmaceutical company in Korea by stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry coupled to an elemental analyser (EA-IRMS). The carbon delta values for the ephedrine and pseudoephedrine were -24.21~-22.72 (mean=-23.72) $^{\cir}/_{\circ\circ}$ and -23.79~-22.71 (mean=-23.48) $^{\cir}/_{\circ\circ}$. The nitrogen delta values were 3.51~5.55 (4.43) $^{\cir}/_{\circ\circ}$ and 2.24~8.22 (5.42) $^{\cir}/_{\circ\circ}$. These results indicate that PPMs are semi-synthetic products. Therefore the origins of ephedrine(natural, semi-synthetic or synthetic) could be discriminated by using carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios. we are sure tat this stable isotope ratio analysis can discriminate the origins of precursors of methamphetamine.

Keywords

References

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