Analytical Detection of Cyproheptadine in an Alprazolam Labeled Drug Sample: Unveiling Mislabeling

The prevalence of mislabeled pharmaceutical preparations poses a significant threat to public health and presents considerable challenges in forensic narcotics investigations, particularly under the legal framework of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Such mislabeling not only endangers consumers due to potential adverse pharmacological effects but also complicates legal adjudication and regulatory enforcement. This case study details the forensic identification and analytical characterization of a suspected psychotropic drug sample submitted as alprazolam. Preliminary presumptive tests indicated inconsistencies with the declared identity, prompting comprehensive instrumental analyses. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC), ultra-violet (UV) visible spectrophotometry, and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) were employed for confirmatory examination. The results conclusively demonstrated that the seized sample contained cyproheptadine, an antihistaminic compound, rather than the labeled alprazolam. The distinct chromatographic and spectral profiles provided unequivocal differentiation between the declared and actual constituents. These findings underscore the critical necessity for robust, multi-tiered analytical protocols in forensic narcotics laboratories and highlight the broader implications of drug mislabeling for public safety, law enforcement, and judicial processes.