Separation and Detection of Nux Vomika Alkaloids by Thin-Layer Chromatography
Mali Bhagwat D.*, Akuskar Deepak S.**, Jivane Deepak M.**
*Assistant Director, Toxicology Division, Regional Forensic Science Laboratory, State of Maharashtra, Cantonment, Aurangabad, Maharashtra 431002, India. **P.G. Student, Government Institute of Forensic Science, Nipatniranjan Nagar, Caves Road, Aurangabad, Maharashtra 431004, India.
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Strychnine and brucine are the poisonous alkaloids, derived from seeds of strychnos nux vomica. These seeds are readily available in villages and often misused for poisoning. A systematic and complete detection and quantitation of different poisons including plant poison is carried out by forensic toxicologists. Their method involves screening of poisons and their instrumental assay. Although instrumental methods are sensitive, they are costly and involve elaborate instrumental assay. Therefore, a simple, rapid and cheap thinlayer chromatographic method for separation and detection of bioactive compounds (strychnine and brucine) is described. These alkaloids have -N-C=O group in their structure. This reacts with active chlorine to give corresponding chloramines, which oxidises o-tolidine to give blue coloured compound on thin-layer chromatographic plate. The detection limit was found to be 5µg and 8µg per spot for strychnine and brucine respectively.
Corresponding Author : Mali Bhagwat D., Assistant Director, Toxicology Division, Regional Forensic Science Laboratory, State of Maharashtra, Cantonment, Aurangabad, Maharashtra 431002, India.
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