The in vitro shoot culture of a T-DNA insertional mutant of Papaver somniferum L. established by the infection of Agrobacterium rhizogenes MAFF03-01724 accumulated thebaine instead of morphine as a major opium alkaloid. To develop a non-narcotic opium poppy and to gain insight into its genetic background, we have transplanted this mutant to soil, and analyzed its alkaloid content along with the...

Opium was known and frequently used in Roman society. Medical practice recognized its usefulness as an analgesic, soporific, anti-tussic or anti-diarrheic agent, as well as other currently unsupported uses with quasi-magical properties. It was additionally used as an ingredient in antidotes, panaceas and poisons. The authors present a non-exhaustive compilation of opium use according to medical...

medicinal use of the opium poppy (papaver somniferum l) has ancient history, but the isolation of morphine was not described until the early nineteenth century. morphine is the most important alkaloid of opium poppy in the last 50 years. in the morphine pathway has been reported to generate morphine in this species, codm has a crucial role as the gene coding the enzyme responsible for demethyla...

The effort of this work was to prove whether there exists any relation between stress factors caused by content of cadmium and zinc, and content and composition of opium alkaloids codeine, morphine, narcotine (noscapine) and papaverine contained in poppy seeds and capsules (Papaver somniferum L.) in 14 samples of 8 varieties cultivated in 8 localities in 2003.

For centuries the world has appreciated the potent analgesic qualities and adverse effects/addictive qualities of opioids. Evidence of potential poppy plant use (preserved remains of cultivated poppy seeds and pods) may date back to the fourth millennium BC (2). Opium was proposed as a remedy for multiple ailments in 1552 BC in the Ebers papyrus. Drug use in ancient central Asia is evidenced by...

Quantitation of morphine and other major alkaloids in opium gum from specially cultivated Papaver setigerum DC (“Wild Poppy”) is presented. Papaver setigerum plants (n = 14) were grown in an atmosphere containing a slightly elevated level of carbon dioxide (390 ppm). Opium gum collected from the capsules of the mature plants was analyzed for morphine, codeine, thebaine, noscapine, and papaverin...