New chromogenic reagent for high-performance thin-layer chromatographic detection of organophosphorus insecticide monocrotophos in biological materials

Agriculture is a main source of economy in Indian society; insecticide plays a key role in increasing the production of crops. Monocrotophos is a member of organophosphate insecticide, and it plays a diversifi ed role in agriculture. Monocrotophos is helpful to control insecticides, but it has some disadvantages, e.g., there are an increasing number of human poisoning cases mainly by organophosphorus compound monocrotophos. During the last few years, Forensic Science Laboratories, Maharashtra, India, detected a large number of human poisoning cases with monocrotophos, since a large number of biological samples (postmortem sample) were received for toxicological chemical analysis. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) were the preferred methods for identifi cation of the poison. By observing the results of toxicological chemical analysis, the conclusion can be drawn, like, presently monocrotophos plays a key role in human poisoning cases. Chromogenic reagent was found to be a selective spray reagent for monocrotophos in a routine analysis by HPTLC. Monocrotophos reacts with chromogenic reagent which gives intense pink-colored compound. The other organochlorine insecticides, organ phosphorus insecticides, and pyrethroids insecticide do not give pink colored spot. Biological material constituents (amino acids, peptides, proteins, fats, etc.) do not interfere with this chromogenic reagent.