Selective and Simple Determination of Isoquinoline Alkaloids in Papaver Species by Ion Mobility Spectrometry

In this study, a fast and precise method for determining three opium alkaloids (morphine, codeine, and thebaine) in different parts of some Papaver species was developed and validated with a low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.05 - 0.20 mg/L. The proposed method was based on three extraction steps by alkaline aqueous solution/chloroform/acidic aqueous solution and analysis by ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). After optimizing IMS parameters based on an experimental design, IMS was applied to analyze the extracts of seeds, stems, leaves, and capsules of seven Papaver species collected from different regions of Iran. All prepared samples were analyzed by HPLC and IMS at the same time. Then, the obtained results of the two instrumental methods were compared. The HPLC did not detect morphine in the prepared samples, while IMS results showed trace amounts of morphine in the capsules and leaves of four Papaver species. Other results were comparable and showed that IMS is more sensitive, affordable, and faster than HPLC for alkaloid analysis.