The stability of reference standard, i.e. impurity-free, heroin (diacetylmorphine) in methanol at room temperature (28 ± 2°C) over a period of approximately one year has been studied by HPTLC. The results indicate that the degradation of heroin starts on the second day after preparation of its solution in methanol and that decomposition is complete in approximately 38 weeks. The technique used for the study is simple and reliable. It enables understanding of the stability and degradation pattern of heroin and suggests a correct procedure for forensic use of this scarcely available reference standard in the analysis of heroin samples.
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