Source identification of Indian opium based on chromatographic fingerprinting of amino acids

Total and free pool of amino acids was determined in Indian opium samples using liquid chromatography (LC) with post-column o-pthalaldehyde derivatization followed by its fluorimetric detection. The limit of detection (LOD) was found to be in the range of 2–10 pmol with a signal to noise ratio of 3:1 and limit of quantitation (LOQ) was found to be in the range of 7–31 pmol with a signal to noise ratio of 10:1. The recovery of amino acids was found to be in the range of 86–103%. A total of 124 Indian opium samples were collected from the states of Madhya Pradesh (MP), Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Rajasthan (Raj), covering 14 licit opium growing divisions of India were chromatographically fingerprinted for the presence of various amino acids. The amino acids identified in sample hydrosylate included D, T, S, E, G, A, V, I, L, Y, F, H, K and R, while the analysis of free pool of amino acids (80% aqueous ethanol extract) indicated the presence of D, T, S, E, A, V, I, L, Y, H, K respectively. Multiple discriminant analysis was applied to the quantitative total amino acid data to determine an optimal classifier in order to evaluate the source of Indian opium. The foremost amino acid variables that accounted for the true discrimination were identified as D, E, G, A, F and K in evaluating the geographical origin of Indian opium and the predictive value based on the discriminant analysis was found to be 90% in relation to the source of opium samples. Chemometrics performed with amino acid analytical data was used successfully in discriminating the licit opium growing divisions of India into three major groups, viz. groups I, II and III. The methodology developed may find wide application in forensic analysis.