Title : Quantification of alkaloids in Ayahuasca similar seized material using qNMR
Abstract:
Ayahuasca is a tea made by decoction of the combination of leaves and crushed stems of different plants that contain that contains the psychedelic indole N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and carboline as Harmaline e Tetahidroharmine. This association has a wide range of use in religious rituals around the world. In the present work, an easy, fast and non destructive method by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance of proton (1H NMR) for quantification of DMT in seized ayahuasca samples was developed and validated. mimethylsulfoxide (DMS) was used as internal standard (IS). For this purpose, the area ratios produced by protons of DMT (N(CH3)2) at 2.70 ppm, singlet, (6H), Harmaline (Ar-H) at 7,8 ppm, singlet, (1H), Tetrahidroharmine R-CH3 doublet at 1,2 ppm e and for DMS (OS(CH3)2 at 3.10 ppm, siglet, (6H) were used for quantification. The concentration found was 8,0 mg/g, 1,2 mg/g e 1,0 mg/g of Harmaline, DMT e Harmaline, respectively. The method was reprodutible e seletive for the susbstance analiyzeds. The present 1H NMR method is not time consuming and can be readily applied to monitor this alkaloids in plant preparations. qNMR can be used for identification and quantification of many plant-based products and metabolites with important advantages, while comparing with other analytical techniques.
