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sobriquet

Interesting poppy facts.

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I found it interesting that even after lancing (which is illegal in most countries including Australia) for opium collection the pods of poppies appear to still have half the alkaloid content intact. So assuming this was done where it's legal, then the pods coud be processed again to get more.

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A note on the morphine content of lanced poppy capsules purchased as "dried flowers"

J. G. BRUHN

Department of Toxicology, Karolinska lnstitutet, Stockholm, Sweden U. NYMAN

The Swedish Seed Association, Svalöv, Sweden

ABSTRACT

Four opium poppy capsules, without seeds, which had already been used for opium production by lancing were analysed for their morphine content using a spectrophotometric method. The capsules were found to contain between 0.15 to 0.34 per cent of morphine.

Source: ht[deadened link]tp://www.unodc.org/unodc/bulletin/bulletin_1981-01-01_2_page005.html?print=yes]http://www.unodc.org/unodc/bulletin/bullet....html?print=yes

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Lancing is very old fashioned and most modern techniques including the Tasmanian industry don't even bother, preferring to use other extraction methods instead. The 'TasAlk" website says they use a 'warm solvent percolation'. I think the 'warm' is key as hot solutions lead to breakdown of some of the alkaloids anecdotally.

Just a reminder that the growing of poppies in Australia privately for these purposes is not an option.

PS: The link has been 'deadened' or killed so you can't click on it deliberately. Such clicks lead to a referrer entry to the site visited which may tip off the website there that we are interested in them.

To view the site please copy and paste the link into a new tab or window. Thanks for understanding.

Edited by eNo

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Here's another. I think the interesting thing about this one is that the maturation process between blooming of the poppy and the harvesting time is just as important to reduce thebaine concentration which seems to decline rapidly in the two weeks after the petals drop.

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Variations in morphine, codeine and thebaine in the capsules of Papaver somniferum L. during maturation

PJ Hofman and RC Menary

Abstract

During the 1978-79 season, changes in the straw from a commercial and glasshouse-grown crop of Papaver somniferum L. were monitored. The percentage morphine and codeine reached their maximum values of 1.57 % and 0.10% respectively 5 weeks after full bloom under field conditions. Their contents changed little until the 11th week; thereafter losses of 35% and 32% in the morphine and codeine concentrations occurred over a 2 week period. This coincided with comparatively high rainfall and relative humidity, which permitted heavy fungal growth and a 28% decrease in the dry weight per sample of straw. There was a rapid decrease in thebaine concentration during the second week after full bloom, followed by a more gradual decrease up till 13 weeks after full bloom. A total loss of 58 % was recorded over the 13 week period, but there was no rapid loss during the 11-13 week period. Under glasshouse conditions morphine and codeine concentrations increased until the eighth and seventh weeks after full bloom respectively. The morphine concentration after this period showed little change, while that of codeine varied slightly. Their maximum detected concentrations were 1 .89 % and 0.16 % respectively. The thebaine concentration decreased rapidly during the first 5 weeks after full bloom from its highest detected value of 0.59% at week 2.

Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 31(2) 313 - 326

Source: ht[deadened link]tp://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/AR9800313.htm

Edited by eNo

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Here's another

DOMESTICATION OF PAPAVER BRACTEATUM AS A SOURCE OF THEBAINE

Authors: D. Palevitch, A. Levy

Abstract:

Alternative sources for opium drugs are urgently needed due to increase in abuse of opiates. Papaver bracteatum is considered to be a potential source of raw material for the production of codeine and anti-addiction drugs, without the involvement of morphine. During the last 14 years efforts have been made in Israel to domesticate this wild species by breeding cultivars with high thebaine content and by development of modern cultural practices for the production of capsules or roots. A large variation in thebaine content was found within the wild populations originating from two locations in Iran. Significance negative correlations were found among some of the thebaine yield components. Thebaine yield showed the lowest heritability and therefore a low selection response. However, high selection response was obtained for the thebaine content in the capsules. A significant increase in the thebaine content of the capsules was found in colchicine-induced tetraploid plants. However, the thebaine yield was slightly reduced due to the low number of capsules in the autotetraploid plants.

Through selection, early planting and cultivation in locations with cold winters, a high flowering rate was achieved during the first growing season despite the perennial habit of this plant. Foliar application of gibberellic acid enhanced the flowering, especially in late-flowering clones. The concentration of thebaine was not affected by GA3. However, the thebaine yield per plant was increased due to the increase in number and mass of the capsules. Studies of the accumulation of thebaine in the roots showed that the maximum concentrations were obtained at the start of the flowering stage. However, the mass of the roots and thus the thebaine yield increased until full flowering. The lower parts of the roots contained the highest thebaine concentration.

from ht[dead link]tp://www.actahort.org/books/306/306_2.htm

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The information about the foliar application of gibberellic acid enhancing the flowering is interesting and may increase yields from small numbers of plants typically grown by the enthusiast.

I don't think P bracteatum is available readily in Australia. It would be interesting to cultivate for the flowers as it is essentially useless for other purposes since it has no morphine, but rather thebaine.

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I'd always been intrigued by P. bracteatum (Lindley) [which is amongst prohibited types] but it appears that this name is simply a synonym for P. orientale L.

Papaver orientale L.

SYNONYM(S) : Papaver bracteatum Lindl., Papaver grandiflorum Moench, Papaver orientale L. var. paucifoliatum Trautv., Papaver paucifoliatum (Trautv.) Fedde

from: h[dead link]p://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Papaver.html

It appears that a form of thebaine opium can be gotten from P. bracteatum.

This fact together with the fact that the thebaine can be converted to 14-hydroxycodeinone in a new and simple way (through photooxidation), and then in another straightforward way to oxycodone gives much potential to this plant theoretically. Though the thebaine content is 1% so its a somewhat roundabout thing compared to somniferum with its almost certain 10% morphine ready to go. Unless you had high thebaine 'Norman strain' Tasmanian opium poppies which I'm sure is protected by Tasmanian alkaloids because of its status as a 'trade secret'.

I think the plant is very pretty myself. And as it's perennial it would make a nice garden plant; though it can hybridise with somniferum so you wouldn't want it around if you were growing somniferum for seed.

Papaver-gross-380.JPG

papaver_bracteatum.jpg

Pap-Bract1.jpg

339sp_s.jpg

Edited by eNo

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In the post above I'd indicated that P. bracteatum because of its thebaine content might be useless to the casual grower. I found this article which reminded me of why it is probably very worthwhile.

Papaver bracteatum Lindley: thebaine content in relation to plant development.

Fairbairn JW,

Helliwell K.

Four thebaine-rich varieties of P. bracteatum have been grown in the open over two seasons and the thebaine distribution in aerial parts examined to determine the most suitable source material for commercial production. The leaves contained only 0-1 to 0-15%; the capsules 0-5 to 3-0% and the bled latex 28 to 53%. The maximum for the latter occurred about 3-4 weeks after petal opening and during the day, at about 15,00 h. A product 'bractium' prepared exactly as opium from P. somniferum contained up to 55% thebaine and calculations from the 1974 results gave theoretical yields up to 58 k of thebaine per hectare. However this is a very labour intensive method; furthermore bled latex only represents about 46% of the total thebaine of the capsule. In addition the pedicels contain significant amounts of thebaine, so that fruiting tops may be recommended as source material. In the capsule the thebaine content reaches a peak 3 to 4 weeks after petal opening and again two weeks later. At this fully ripe stage there is a theoretical yield of 50 kg per hectare. Two further advantages accrue from collection at this time: the ripe seeds can probably be used for similar purposes as poppy seed; and the pericarps at this stage contain no 'bound thebaine' (i;e., thebaine insoluble in MeOH; NH4OH but soluble in acetic acid--in unripe capsules bound thebaine represents 18 to 36% of the total thebaine). There is some evidence that, as this perennial plant increases in age, the capacity for thebaine production seems to continue increasing. Storage of raw material, even in ideal conditions, led to a loss of thebaine of 12 to 20% in one year.

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Up to 50% thebaine from the "bractium" ie. bled latex!!

That's a hugely greater amount of thebaine concentration than the 10% of morphine in opium, the bled latex of the P. somniferum plant.

If that thebaine was purified, it coud easily be transformed into oxycodone which in itself has 1.8 times ie. almost double the potency of morphine and is sometimes preferred to heroin even by those who know and is very orally active.

In fact if the pharmaceutical companies could have their way they'd probably value bracteatum latex ie. bractium to opium but it's very labour intensive to produce. The trend is to just mow the entire crop and use the poppy straw which makes somniferum a better option since you get the morphine by product as well.

This is all hypothetical of course and is just to illustrate why thebaine is so valued commercially.

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Speaking of high(er) thebaine varieties of poppy. Here is a patent which mentions the Norman strain of P. somniferum grown in Tasmania. The thing with that strain is that while it has higher thebaine and less morphine than others in that species ie. thebaine makes up 50% of the TOTAL alkaloids; the amount of alkaloid is not especially high.

In terms of yield of opium per hectare vs. bractium per hectare (see post above). The opium poppy averages about 30-40 Kilograms per hectare, whereas the bracteatum (Oriental) poppy yields ~50 Kilograms per hectare.

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6723894.html

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Accordingly, Etoh xtal of paenoflorum petals showed marked activity. Deep red honey wine colour upon evap. Decrease in with muscular tightness together with a definite mental stimulation and inability to fall asleep due to pace and content of thoughtforms. Based upon what I have read about Thebaine a higher content may indicate this activity. Was not at all unpleasent at managable doses according to sources in Afghanistan.

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Accordingly, Etoh xtal of paenoflorum petals showed marked activity. Deep red honey wine colour upon evap. Decrease in with muscular tightness together with a definite mental stimulation and inability to fall asleep due to pace and content of thoughtforms. Based upon what I have read about Thebaine a higher content may indicate this activity. Was not at all unpleasent at managable doses according to sources in Afghanistan.

Hi Tripi. Here's something on the pharmacology of thebaine and dependence potential.

h[dead]p://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/bulletin/bulletin_1980-01-01_1_page006.html

Discussions and conclusions

Thebaine was long believed to have no morphine-like agonistic properties and many studies, old and recent, are supportive of this view. However, it is now evident that it has a meaningful dependence potential, both physical and psychological, when large doses are ingested over a certain period in the rhesus monkey. As one of the causes of these discrepancies, contamination by morphine-like substances of thebaine used for the monkey studies was suspected. Since, however, in the analysis by Dr. Jacobson (National Institutes of Health, USA), the sample was found to be free from significant impurity, the species differences in metabolism of thebaine might well explain the discrepancy as already postulated by some investigators. There are some findings which tend to support the idea that the agonistic property of thebaine in rhesus monkeys may be attributable to its metabolites:

Thebaine is devoid of opiate agonistic effects as shown in the guinea pig ileum longitudinal muscle and the mouse vas deferens.

The depressant effect on the gross behaviour of rhesus monkeys appears after a time delay in contrast to the immediate onset of the stimulating and convulsant effects.

The reinforcing effect, which has been found to be equally strong as that of pentazocine, could not be demonstrated in cross self-administration experiments, probably because of the delayed onset of the agonistic effects.

The initiation of self-administration requires a longer time period with thebaine than with other opioids.

Some metabolites Of thebaine, such as oripavine, nororipavine and probably codeine, are detectable in the urine of the rhesus monkey. The question arises as to whether these metabolites have a dependence potential and are biosynthesized in sufficient quantities to produce dependence.

In this connexion the pharmacological profile and dependence potential of oripavine deserve particular attention because:

Oripavine may be the pharmacologically most active metabolite of thebaine;

it may be biosynthesized by ingestion of other opium alkaloids as well; and

it may become available in the future as a therapeutic agent or a substance of abuse.

For these reasons, the Group concluded:

that thebaine has a meaningful dependence potential, both physical and psychological, when large doses are ingested over a certain period in the rhesus monkey;

it is desirable to investigate the dependence potential of oripavine in view of its being a most active metabolite of thebaine; and

the findings in this study apply to animals; whether or not they would apply to humans requires further study. From the monkey studies it would appear that large doses of thebaine are necessary to produce dependence. It is unlikely that comparable doses could be given to humans experimentally or would be self-administered in an abuse situation.

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There is also this on oripavine mentioned above...

h[dead]p://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/bulletin/bulletin_1981-01-01_3_page004.html#s110

Edited by sobriquet

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