Poppy tea and the baker' first seizure

Abstract

Mark King and colleagues'1King MA McDonough MA Drummer OH Berkovic SF Poppy tea and the baker's first seizure.Lancet. 1997; 350: 716Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (16) Google Scholar report on poppy seed as a source of morphine intoxication contrasts with current knowledge on the opioid content of ripe poppy seed.The concentrations of opioids in different parts of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L) varies greatly. Ripe poppy seed was regarded as safe for use in the bakery because of the negligible concentration of toxic alkaloids.2Preininger VI Vrublovsky P Stastny V Alkaloidvorkommen in Mohnsamen (Papaver somniferum L).Pharmazie. 1965; 20: 439-441PubMed Google Scholar The highest concentration of opioids is found within the latex of the capsule before ripening.3Bruneton J Pharmacognosy, phytochemistry, medicinal plants. Lavoisier, Paris1995: 756Google Scholar The initially high content in young seed gradually decreases with ripening. However, data on the morphine content of ripe poppy seed may have to be revised. Poppy tea, which King mentioned as a folk-remedy, was, at least in Germany, mainly prepared from whole poppy-capsules, which have a higher content of opioids. Mark King and colleagues'1King MA McDonough MA Drummer OH Berkovic SF Poppy tea and the baker's first seizure.Lancet. 1997; 350: 716Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (16) Google Scholar report on poppy seed as a source of morphine intoxication contrasts with current knowledge on the opioid content of ripe poppy seed. The concentrations of opioids in different parts of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L) varies greatly. Ripe poppy seed was regarded as safe for use in the bakery because of the negligible concentration of toxic alkaloids.2Preininger VI Vrublovsky P Stastny V Alkaloidvorkommen in Mohnsamen (Papaver somniferum L).Pharmazie. 1965; 20: 439-441PubMed Google Scholar The highest concentration of opioids is found within the latex of the capsule before ripening.3Bruneton J Pharmacognosy, phytochemistry, medicinal plants. Lavoisier, Paris1995: 756Google Scholar The initially high content in young seed gradually decreases with ripening. However, data on the morphine content of ripe poppy seed may have to be revised. Poppy tea, which King mentioned as a folk-remedy, was, at least in Germany, mainly prepared from whole poppy-capsules, which have a higher content of opioids. Poppy tea and the baker' first seizureAuthors' reply Full-Text PDF