ENZYME UND DEREN VERWENDUNG ZUM NACHWEIS VON DROGEN.

摘要

Two enzymes, one an acetylmorphine carboxyesterase (AMCE), the other a morphine dehydrogenase (MDH), have been isolated from bacteria. The AMCE degrades heroin to morphine and the MDH oxidizes morphine to morphinone, with the aid of a cofactor. More particularly, the invention pertains to a process for preparing a 6-ketone from morphine or a methyl or ethyl derivative thereof. The process comprises oxidizing morphine or an ether derivative in the presence of a morphine dehydrogenase and the cofactor NADP+. These reactions are used in detection of heroin (using the two reactions coupled together) or morphine. The enzymes can be incorporated in sensors for this purpose.