NCJ Number
191312
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 46 Issue: 5 Dated: September 2001 Pages: 1033-1042
Date Published
September 2001
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This article presented methods in the identification and forensic determination of ricin and the alkaloid marker ricinine from castor bean extracts.
Abstract
Liquid chromatography spectrometry (LC/MS) and matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) MS methods were developed for the presumptive identification of ricin toxin and the alkaloid marker ricinine from crude plan materials. Ricin is an extremely potent poison. Difficulties arise in attempting to analyze ricin because it is a large heterogeneous protein with glycosylation. The general protein identification scheme developed used LC/MS or MALDI-TOF for size classification followed by the use of the same instrumentation for the analysis of the tryptic digest. Fragments of the digest can be searched in an online database for tentative identification of the unknown protein and followed by comparison to authentic reference materials. LC fractionation or molecular weight cutoff filtraton was used for preparation of the intact toxin before analysis. Extracts from two types of castor beans were prepared using a terrorist handbook procedure and determined to contain 1 percent ricin. The identification of the alkaloid ricinine by GC/MS and LC/MS was shown to be a complementary technique for the determination of castor bean extracts. Tables, graphs, and references