Thin Layer Chromatography of Benzodiazepines

Many sedative hypnotic drugs are available on prescription. The most commonly used drugs of this type are the benzodiazepines, of which approximately thirty are in common use with different pharmacokinetic characteristics and clinical effects. Most use of benzodiazepines is shortterm or confined to induce sleep.

These drugs are increasingly being used by miscreants to stupefy victims prior to robbery or rape. Self-induced or accidental overdoses with these drugs are also quite common.

Detection of intact benzodiazepines, as well as from biological materials of a deceased victim is often necessary in forensic practice. Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) has always been a better choice for the preliminary examination of various drugs of abuse. Literature has evidenced the use of some TLC solvent systems for the separation of some benzodiazepines but in this paper we have introduced a single TLC solvent system which can be of immense use in the preliminary screening of some commonly encountered benzodiazepines. The authors believe that it is an improved, alternative TLC solvent system for the separation of benzodiazepines that can be utilized by forensic laboratories.