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

1980 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 313 ◽  
Author(s):  
PJ Hofman ◽  
RC Menary

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.

1980 ◽  
Vol 95 (3) ◽  
pp. 667-676 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Laughlin

SUMMARYIn a field experiment in the north-west region of Tasmania, poppies (Papaver somniferum L.) were harvested at weekly intervals beginning 10 days after full bloom and continuing until 4 weeks after the dry commercial harvest stage. At each harvest the plants were cut off at ground level and partitioned into terminal capsules, lateral capsules, seed and the combined stem plus leaf component.The dry-matter yield of total plant and of all the components except seed achieved maximum values 2–3 weeks after full bloom and then progressively declined. For the total plant this decrease between maximum dry weight and that at the time of commercial harvest (8 weeks after full bloom) amounted to 26% while for terminal capsules it was 37% for lateral capsules 15% and for stem plus leaves 39%. In contrast, the dry-matter yield of total seed rose to a maximum by 4 weeks after full bloom and then remained constant for the duration of the experiment.The morphine concentration of both terminal and lateral capsules reached a maximum value of 1·1% 6 weeks after full bloom and then decreased by about 10% at the dry harvest stage. The morphine concentration of stem and leaves also reached a maximum of 0·1% about the same time as capsules but decreased rapidly and had halved by dry commercial harvest. The mutually compensating factors of decreasing dry-matter yield and increasing morphine concentration gave similar total plant morphine yields at any time of harvest from 2 to 7 weeks after full bloom. The morphine extracted from the whole plant at these times of harvest was about 50% greater than that derived from capsules alone at the time of dry commercial harvest.


1985 ◽  
Vol 104 (3) ◽  
pp. 559-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Laughlin

SummaryIn a series of field experiments over four seasons, in the north-west region of Tasmania, poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) capsules were harvested at various intervals after dry maturity (12% moisture in capsules). Reductions in the relative morphine concentration of capsules were closely associated with rainfall after dry maturity. These values ranged from a reduction of 0·92 to 0·82% over 5 weeks with 13 mm of rain to a reduction of 0·95 to 0·31% over 6 weeks with 79 mm of rain.In a simulated leaching experiment ground capsules were leached with 50 mm of water. Morphine was detected in the leachate and after being held for 10 days the morphine concentration of the ground capsules had decreased from 0·56 to 0·22%.Intact capsules from glasshouse grown plants were harvested at 2 weeks (T1, 4 weeks (T2), and 6 weeks (dry maturity T3) after full bloom. At each time of harvest they were immersed in distilled water for four different lengths of immersion time: zero (L0), 6·7 min (L1, 44·8 min (L2), and 300 min (L3). After immersion both the immersion water and the capsules were analysed for morphine. Morphine was readily detected in the immersion water with more at T3 than T2 and the amount of morphine increased as the length of immersion time increased. This latter process was greater at T3 than T2. At both T2 and T3 here was a trend for capsule morphine to decrease as immersion time increased.


HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 481d-481
Author(s):  
Z. Wang ◽  
M.C. Acock ◽  
B. Acock

To develop models for estimating growth, flowering time and gum yield of opium poppy, we compared variability among five cultivars (T, L, B1, B2, B3) from different latitudes in three Southeast Asian countries. Variability in the relationships between gum yield, capsule volume, and dry weight was also examined. Plants were grown in six growth chambers at a 11-, 12-, 13-, 14-, 15-, or 16-h photoperiod (PP) with a 12-h 25/20 °C thermoperiod. The main capsule was lanced for opium gum at 10, 13, and 16 d after flowering (DAF). Plants were harvested at 21 DAF and separated into leaves, stems, and capsules. Flowering time for B2 was affected least by PP and B1 the most. Flowering times for B3, L, and T were similar across the range of PPs. All cultivars showed a significant increase in flowering time from 14 to 13 h PP. Cultivars that flowered late (such as B1) had greater biomass than those that flowered earlier. However, cultivars that flowered earlier (such as L) had more dry matter partitioned into capsule than late-flowering ones. B2, B3, and L had the highest gum yields while B1 had the lowest. Positive correlations were found between gum dry weight and capsule volume (or dry weight) for T and L, but no correlations were observed between these variables for B1, B2, and B3. Our results indicated that plant dry weight varied as much as 77% and flowering time varied up to 40% even though the critical photoperiod was the same for all cultivars. The ratio of gum yield to capsule dry weight were significantly different between B1 and T.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 167
Author(s):  
Gaber Abo-Zaid ◽  
Ahmed Abdelkhalek ◽  
Saleh Matar ◽  
Mai Darwish ◽  
Muhammad Abdel-Gayed

Of ten actinobacterial isolates, Streptomyces cellulosae Actino 48 exhibited the strongest suppression of Sclerotium rolfsii mycelium growth and the highest chitinase enzyme production (49.2 U L−1 min−1). The interaction between Actino 48 and S. rolfsii was studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM), which revealed many abnormalities, malformations, and injuries of the hypha, with large loss of S. rolfsii mycelia density and mass. Three talc-based formulations with culture broth, cell-free supernatant, and cell pellet suspension of chitinase-producing Actino 48 were characterized using SEM, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and a particle size analyzer. All formulations were evaluated as biocontrol agents for reducing damping-off, root rot, and pods rot diseases of peanut caused by S. rolfsii under greenhouse and open-field conditions. The talc-based culture broth formulation was the most effective soil treatment, which decreased the percentage of peanut diseases under greenhouse and open-field conditions during two successive seasons. The culture broth formulation showed the highest increase in the dry weight of peanut shoots, root systems, and yielded pods. The transcriptional levels of three defense-related genes (PR-1, PR-3, and POD) were elevated in the culture broth formulation treatment compared with other formulations. Subsequently, the bio-friendly talc-based culture broth formulation of chitinase-producing Actino 48 could potentially be used as a biocontrol agent for controlling peanut soil-borne diseases caused by S. rolfsii.


1996 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 533-538 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. Podile ◽  
A. P. Prakash

A biocontrol rhizobacterial strain of Bacillus subtilis AF 1 grown for 6 h was coinoculated with Aspergillus niger at different time intervals and microscopic observations revealed adherence of bacterial cells to the fungal mycelium. Bacterial cells multiplied in situ and colonized the mycelial surface. Growth of AF 1 resulted in damage to the cell wall, followed by lysis. AF 1 inoculation into media containing A. niger at 0, 6, and 12 h suppressed >90% fungal growth, while in 18- and 24-h cultures fungal growth inhibition was 70 and 56%, respectively, in terms of dry weight. In dual culture the fungal growth was not accompanied by formation of spores. The mycelial preparation of A. niger as principal carbon source supported the growth of B. subtilis, as much as chitin. Extracellular protein precipitate from B. subtilis culture filtrate had a significant growth-retarding effect on A. niger. Groundnut seeds bacterized with B. subtilis showed a reduced incidence of crown rot in A. niger infested soil, suggesting a possible role of B. subtilis in biological control of A. niger.Key words: mycolytic bacteria, Bacillus subtilis, Aspergillus niger, biological control.


1982 ◽  
Vol 98 (3) ◽  
pp. 679-687 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Laughlin ◽  
D. Munro

SUMMARYAbnormally low concentrations of morphine in capsules of poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) in the 1970–1 season were associated with heavy fungal colonization. The effect of fungal colonization on the morphine production of capsules was later studied in a series of field, glasshouse and in vitroexperiments.In a field experiment morphine concentration of severely colonized (> 30% surface cover) intact capsules was 20% less (P <0·01) than slightly colonized (< 10% surface cover) capsules. Colonization of these field-grown capsules was generally localized in the top half and the morphine concentration of the top half was about 20% less than the bottom half for all colonization categories. In contrast, glasshouse-grown capsules were free of fungal colonization and the top and bottom halves had similar morphine concentrations.In a field experiment studying the effect of fungicides, 2 kg benomyl (50% a.i.) + 2 kg mancozeb (80% a.i.)/ha were applied as a spray at 10-day intervals from flowering till 1 month after commercial harvest and plants were harvested at weekly intervals from 10 days after full bloom. The mean dry-matter yield of sprayed capsules was 11% greater (P <0·01) than non-sprayed with a similar trend for morphine concentration and morphine yield. In addition, the sprayed treatment significantly reduced the area covered by sporulating lesions on the surface of the capsule after dry maturity. This superficial fungal cover had a NNE orientation in both sprayed and non-sprayed capsules.In an in vitroexperiment using capsules from the field fungicide study, fungi were isolated from the interior of green capsule wall tissue as early as 17 days after flowering. Colonization increased with successive harvests and culturing of fungi from the interior of capsule wall tissue showed the presence of fungi in both sprayed and non-sprayed capsules with no difference in the degree of colonization.Two of the major fungi isolated from the field experiment were identified as Dendryphion penidllatum (Corda) Fr. and Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissler and the individual effect of these was assessed in an in vitro experiment using ground capsule material. D. penidllatuvi and A. alternata reduced the morphine concentration of ground capsules in 24 days to 7 and 11% respectively of non-inoculated controls.


1978 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 344-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. PENSALA ◽  
A. NISKANEN ◽  
S. LINDROTH

Unsweetened and sweetened (20 and 44% sucrose) black currant, blueberry and strawberry jams with spores of Aspergillus parasiticus NRRL 2999 were incubated at different temperatures and atmospheres for 0.5, 1, 2, and 6 months. Hyphal dry weight, pH of medium and aflatoxin production were examined. Also, the aflatoxin distribution between mold and jam layers was examined in jam with uncontrolled and controlled pH (initial pH 3.1–3.6 and 5.6 respectively) and in 20% yeast extract sucrose broth (initial pH 5.6) after 2 weeks of incubation. Aflatoxin was observed in black currant and strawberry jams stored at 22 and 30 C, but not in blueberry jam. Addition of sugar prevented production of aflatoxin in detectable amounts, although it enhanced fungal growth. Storage at 4 C resulted in a marked reduction in fungal growth. The high CO2 atmosphere prevented production of aflatoxin in detectable amounts in black currant and blueberry jams but not in strawberry jam. Raising the initial pH of the stored jam caused an increase in aflatoxin synthesis, although the amount of fungal mycelium, in contrast was reduced. Aflatoxin synthesis as a function of fungal growth was significantly weaker in the jams than in the yeast extract sucrose broth. The results imply that the jam raw materials, particularly blueberry, contain substances inhibiting production of atlatoxins. Alternatively, it is also possible that the jam materials contain only small amounts of nutrients necessary for synthesis of aflatoxin.


1979 ◽  
Vol 42 (10) ◽  
pp. 780-783 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. BALDOCK ◽  
P. R. FRANK ◽  
PAUL P. GRAHAM ◽  
FRANK J. IVEY

Sixty, seventy and ninety-day-old country cured hams were used to evaluate potassium sorbate as a fungistatic agent during aging and holding for market. A 1-min spray of 5% (w/v) potassium sorbate offered the lowest effective level for inhibition of fungal growth. Mold and yeast colony counts 30 days post-treatment were significantly lower than initial numbers but protection was lost by the 60th day under conditions conducive to fungal outgrowth (21 ± 5 C and 70 ± 5% relative humidity). Greater mold inhibition was noted when a 10% potassium sorbate spray was used under identical conditions. Less than 65% relative humidity inhibited mold growth on 120-day-old ham slices held at 7 C. Mold and yeast counts tended to be lower on hams treated after 60 days of processing than on hams treated after 90 days of processing. Residual concentrations of sorbic acid required to inhibit mold growth and yield an acceptable ham after 30 days storage were within the limit approved by the Food and Drug Administration for other food products.


2006 ◽  
Vol 69 (10) ◽  
pp. 2544-2548 ◽  
Author(s):  
DANTE J. BUENO ◽  
JULIO O. SILVA ◽  
GUILLERMO OLIVER ◽  
SILVIA N. GONZÁLEZ

The effect of two species of lactobacilli, Lactobacillus casei CRL 431 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus CRL 1224, on growth of different Aspergillus flavus strains was determined. A. flavus strains (Ap, TR2,or CF80) were grown in LAPTg broth at 37°C for 7 days as a single culture and in association with L. casei CRL 431 or L. rhamnosus CRL 1224 at initial inoculum ratios of 1:1, 1:10, and 1:100. In most cases, the mixed cultures had a lower fungal growth and a lower pH than the control cultures. Mycelial dry weight was reduced to 73 and 85% using L. casei CRL 431 and L. rhamnosus CRL 1224, respectively. The pH decrease in mixed cultures when the fungal mycelial dry weight is reduced may play an important role in inhibition. The number of viable bacteria was variably affected by fungal growth. These results indicate that L. casei CRL 431 and L. rhamnosus CRL 1224 may be useful as potential biocontrol agent against A. flavus


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