Laudanum opiatum caesareum: authentication of the composition of a historical pharmaceutical preparation from the eighteenth century using a multianalytical approach

Sixteen specimens of historical remains of inorganic pharmaceuticals dating back to the eighteenth century were analyzed by a combination of spectroscopy (ICP–MS, atomic absorption/emission, UV–Vis, infrared and Raman), capillary zone electrophoresis, and chemical methods (titration and gravimetric analysis). The results obtained confirmed the identity of 14 of the specimens analyzed. With the exception of one, impurities were found in all specimens, often at relatively high concentrations. Based on these impurities, it was possible to confirm the origin of six substances as naturally occurring minerals. The other specimens were probably prepared by period apothecaries or artisans through chemical reactions. In two specimens, a recipe of the time, based on the ignition of metal with sulfur, could be confirmed. For anatron, a substance that originated as a by-product of glass melting, it was possible to determine its composition as a mixture of alkaline sulfates, carbonates, and chlorides (the first such analysis described in the literature). On the other hand, for two specimens, it was found that the substance was mistaken for a completely different compound than would be expected from the Latin inscription on the apothecary jar. Graphical abstract

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Authentication of two eighteenth century juniper-containing drug remains by HPLC–MS/MS and GC–MS

Nesměrák

Lener

Korban

et al. 2023

Monatsh Chem

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Two historical remains of juniper-containing drugs, dating from the eighteenth century, were analyzed using two separation techniques with mass detection (HPLC–MS/MS and GC–MS). As reference material, replicates of one of these analyzed historical remains, juniper preserve, were prepared according to period recipes. Although the HPLC–MS/MS method was suitable for authenticating the origin of a drug prepared from juniper berries (i.e., juniper preserve), it proved unsuitable for a drug containing only juniper wood. In contrast, GC–MS was able to demonstrate that this drug did indeed contain juniper wood. Thus both studied samples were verified to be juniper-containing drugs. A remarkable stability of some glycosides was observed in the samples analyzed. The presence of viridiflorin was demonstrated for the first time in the juniper plant, and a detailed ESI+-MSn fragmentation of this substance was proposed. Graphical abstract

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Laudanum opiatum caesareum: authentication of the composition of a historical pharmaceutical preparation from the eighteenth century using a multianalytical approach

Cited by 3 publications

References 20 publications

Chemotaxonomic markers for the authentication of the historical remains of chicory extract from the eighteenth century and mass spectrometry of these markers

Chemotaxonomic markers for the authentication of the historical remains of chicory extract from the eighteenth century and mass spectrometry of these markers

Identity and purity of historical remains of inorganic pharmaceuticals from the eighteenth century

Authentication of two eighteenth century juniper-containing drug remains by HPLC–MS/MS and GC–MS

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