Biomaterial Database

Quantification of Morphine, Codeine, and Thebaine in Home-Brewed Poppy Seed Tea by LC-MS/MS. 2018

Deborah Powers, and Stephen Erickson, and Madeleine J Swortwood

Department of Forensic Science, Sam Houston State University, Chemistry & Forensic Science Bldg, Rm 224, 1003 Bowers. Blvd, Box 2525, Huntsville, TX 77341.

Recently, medical examiners reported two cases of a 21-year-old male and 24-year-old male with high amounts of morphine in their blood at autopsy. It was suspected that the decedents ingested lethal amounts of morphine from home-brewed poppy seed tea. No studies to date have investigated opium alkaloid content extracted from poppy seeds by home-brewing methods. Various poppy seed products were purchased from online sources and extracted with four home-brewing methods representative of recipes found on drug user forums. Morphine, codeine, and thebaine were quantified in the tea extracts by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry using a validated analytical method. Morphine, codeine, and thebaine concentrations from seeds were <1-2788 mg/kg, <1-247.6 mg/kg, and <1-124 mg/kg, respectively. Alkaloid yield varied between extractions, but regardless of extraction conditions, lethal amounts of morphine can be rinsed from poppy seed coats by home-brewing methods.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D009020	Morphine	The principal alkaloid in opium and the prototype opiate analgesic and narcotic. Morphine has widespread effects in the central nervous system and on smooth muscle.	Morphine Sulfate,Duramorph,MS Contin,Morphia,Morphine Chloride,Morphine Sulfate (2:1), Anhydrous,Morphine Sulfate (2:1), Pentahydrate,Oramorph SR,SDZ 202-250,SDZ202-250,Chloride, Morphine,Contin, MS,SDZ 202 250,SDZ 202250,SDZ202 250,SDZ202250,Sulfate, Morphine
D010207	Papaver	A genus of Eurasian herbaceous plants, the poppies (family PAPAVERACEAE of the dicotyledon class Magnoliopsida), that yield OPIUM from the latex of the unripe seed pods.	Poppy,Opium Poppy,Papaver somniferum,Opium Poppies,Poppies,Poppies, Opium,Poppy, Opium
D002853	Chromatography, Liquid	Chromatographic techniques in which the mobile phase is a liquid.	Liquid Chromatography
D003061	Codeine	An opioid analgesic related to MORPHINE but with less potent analgesic properties and mild sedative effects. It also acts centrally to suppress cough.	Morphinan-6-ol, 7,8-didehydro-4,5-epoxy-3-methoxy-17-methyl-, (5alpha,6alpha)-,Ardinex,Codeine Phosphate,Isocodeine,N-Methylmorphine,N Methylmorphine
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012639	Seeds	The encapsulated embryos of flowering plants. They are used as is or for animal feed because of the high content of concentrated nutrients like starches, proteins, and fats. Rapeseed, cottonseed, and sunflower seed are also produced for the oils (fats) they yield.	Diaspores,Elaiosomes,Embryos, Plant,Plant Embryos,Plant Zygotes,Zygotes, Plant,Diaspore,Elaiosome,Embryo, Plant,Plant Embryo,Plant Zygote,Seed,Zygote, Plant
D013662	Tea	The infusion of leaves of CAMELLIA SINENSIS (formerly Thea sinensis) as a beverage, the familiar Asian tea, which contains CATECHIN (especially epigallocatechin gallate) and CAFFEINE.	Black Tea,Green Tea,Black Teas,Green Teas,Tea, Black,Tea, Green,Teas, Black,Teas, Green
D013797	Thebaine	A drug that is derived from opium, which contains from 0.3-1.5% thebaine depending on its origin. It produces strychnine-like convulsions rather than narcosis. It may be habit-forming and is a controlled substance (opiate) listed in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21 Part 1308.12 (1985). (From Merck Index, 11th ed)
D053593	Forensic Toxicology	The application of TOXICOLOGY knowledge to questions of law.	Toxicology, Forensic