Detection of Nicotine by a New System:

Kamalakshi Krishnamurthy¹, Thant Zin², K. Priyamvatha³, Mahadeva Rao. U. S.²*, Suganya M.⁴

¹Additional Director and Director (i/c) - Retired, Forensic Sciences Department, Mylapore, Chennai, India.

²School of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA),

Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia.

³Former Student of Women's Christian College, Chennai, India.

⁴People's College of Dental Sciences and Research Centre, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India.

*Corresponding Author E-mail: raousm@gmail.com, raousm@unisza.edu.my

ABSTRACT:

Nicotine (C10 H14 N2) exists in all parts of the plant but notably in the leaves. Nicotiana tabacum, or cultivated tobacco, is an annually grown herbaceous plant of the Nicotiana genus. In this study a rapid and sensitive evaluation of Nicotine by Thin Layer Chromatography is carried out.

KEYWORDS: Nicotine, Smoking, Thin layer chromatography, Tobacco, Carcinogen.

INTRODUCTION:

Even though the government has issued a statutory warning that “Smoking is injurious to health,” this does not deter or prevent the smokers from chain smoking. Tobacco kills more than 8 million people each year. All forms of Tobacco are harmful and there is no safe level of exposure to Tobacco. Cigarette smoking is the most common form of Tobacco use worldwide.

Nicotine (C10 H14 N2) exists in all parts of the plant but notably in the leaves contain 0.6 to 6% in combination with malic and citric acid. Nicotine is colourless, volatile, oily liquid turning brown and a resinous on exposure to air. It has a burning acrid taste and a penetrating odour. It first stimulates and then depresses Vagal and Vasomotor Ganglia. It also stimulates and then paralyses the cerebral and spinal centres. Cancer has been reported in patients who used Nicotine for a long time.

Smokeless tobacco use is highly addictive and damage to health. It contains cancer causing toxins. (carcinogens)

Tobacco produces (is a cause of) heart and lung diseases. No-Tobacco Day is celebrated around the world every year on 31^stMay.

Cigarette smoking is responsible for more than 4,80,000 deaths per year in US. On an average smokers die 10 years earlier than the non-smokers.

Aim of this study is to identify Nicotine by Thin Layer Chromatography which is one of the easiest and most versatile methods due to its low cost, simplicity, quick development time, high sensitivity and good reproducibility. TLC method is a good alternative method to some of the reported, expensive instrumental methods.

Nicotiana tabacum belongs to N.O. Solanaceae. Dried leaves are used as snuff for smoking or to chew them with lime or with lime and pan.

The leaves yield 2 active principles-Nicotine and Nicotianine.

METHODS:

TLC plate coated with Silica Gel GF 254. 2) TLC plate glass size (15.8 X 17.0cms)

Solvent system:

Cyclohexane: Chloroform: 1 Propanol: Ammonia 35 20 5 0.6

System allowed to saturate. Control Nicotine is spotted in the TLC plate. Plate is allowed to run to sufficient height. Taken out, dried and sprayed with Dragendorff (equally mixed 1&2) followed by neutral ferric chloride solution.

Nicotine revealed at a Rf of 0.60

CONCLUSION:

This paper envisages a new developing as well as identification method for Nicotine both qualitative as well as quantitative by TLC.

REFERENCES:

1. Text book of Medical Jurisprudence and Toxicology - By Jaising Modi.

2. Forensic Medicine and Toxicology -By V. Dekal.

3. Parikh’s Text Book of Medical Jurisprudence & Toxicology-By C.K.Parikh.

4. The Essentials of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology- By K.S. Narayan Reddy and O.P. Murthy.

5. Thin Layer Chromatography – By Egon Stahl.

6. Indian Medicinal Plants - by Kirti & Basuthkar.

7. Isolation and Identification of Drugs in Pharmaceuticals, body fluids and post-mortem material - By E.C.G. Clarke.

Received on 14.05.2022 Modified on 22.06.2022

Asian J. Pharm. Ana. 2022; 12(3):179-180.

DOI: 10.52711/2231-5675.2022.00030