Opioid Use Disorder from Poppy Seed Tea Use: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND Unwashed or unprocessed poppy seeds may be an underrecognized substance that can lead to dependence, abuse, and an opioid use disorder. Poppy seeds can be purchased in an unwashed or unprocessed form, and these seeds can be contaminated with the opium alkaloids morphine, codeine, and thebaine on their surfaces. Poppy seeds that are commercially available, such as those used for baking and in other food products, are legal to purchase, as they do not contain the opium alkaloids on their seed coats. Purchase and possession of the unwashed or unprocessed seeds are not legal in the United States. These contaminated poppy seeds can then be put through a process in which they are washed, and the supernatant (tea) is collected and consumed to experience its intoxicating effect or for the treatment of pain or opioid withdrawal. CASE REPORT A 65-year-old man with a history of alcohol use disorder, cannabis use, and chronic pain began using this poppy seed tea for treatment of chronic pain after his provider had stopped prescribing opioid pain medications for him. He developed a dependence on the tea. He had reached out for assistance as it was his desire to stop using the poppy seed tea. The diagnosis of an opioid use disorder was made using the DSM-V criteria. He was successfully induced and maintained on a buprenorphine/naloxone product. CONCLUSIONS Poppy seeds in their unwashed and unprocessed form can be misused and could lead to an opioid use disorder. This disorder can be treated with buprenorphine/naloxone products.

Selective drug trace detection with low-field NMR.

Advances with para-hydrogen induced polarization open up new fields of applications for portable low-field NMR. Here we report the possibility of tracing drugs down to the micromolar regime. We could selectively polarize nicotine quantities similar to those found in one cigarette. Also less than 1 mg of harmine, a drug used for treatment of Parkinson's disease, and morphine extracted from an opium solution were detectable after polarization with para-hydrogen in single-scan (1)H-experiments. Moreover, we demonstrate the possibility to selectively enhance and detect the (1)H-signal of drug molecules with PHIP in proton rich standard solutions that would otherwise mask the (1)H NMR signal of the drug.

Concentrations of the Opium Alkaloids Morphine, Codeine, and Thebaine in Poppy Seeds are Reduced after Thermal and Washing Treatments but are Not Affected when Incorporated in a Model Baked Product.

Limited information exists on the effectiveness of potential treatments to reduce levels of opium alkaloids that may be present in seeds from poppy (Papaver somniferum L.). Poppy seeds containing morphine at relatively lower (14.7 mg kg-1) and higher (210.0 mg kg-1) concentrations were subjected to dry heat and steam treatments, water washing, and baking. Sample extracts were then analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the opium alkaloids morphine, codeine, and thebaine. The results indicated that thermal treatment promoted opium alkaloid degradation in poppy seed samples, with a 50% loss of morphine observed after 30-40 min at 200 °C. Water washing reduced concentrations of opium alkaloids in poppy seeds by approximately 50-80%, while steam treatment resulted in reduction of morphine in only one sample type. Importantly, baking had no significant effect on concentrations of opium alkaloids. Overall, these results indicate that opium alkaloids may not be significantly affected by baking or steam application and that poppy seeds may require water washing or extended thermal treatment to promote reduction of these compounds.

Designation of oripavine as a basic class of controlled substance. Final rule.

This is a final rule issued by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) designating oripavine (3-O-demethylthebaine or 6,7,8,14-tetradehydro-4,5-alpha-epoxy-6-methoxy-17-methylmorphinan-3-ol) as a basic class in schedule II of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Although oripavine was not previously listed in schedule II of the CSA, it has been controlled in the United States as a derivative of thebaine and, as such, is controlled as a schedule II controlled substance which includes "Opium and opiate, and any salt, compound, derivative, or preparation of opium or opiate." Oripavine is a derivative of thebaine, a natural constituent of opium, hence oripavine has been and continues to be, by virtue of the definition of "narcotic drug", a schedule II controlled substance. International control of oripavine in schedule I of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961 Convention) during the 50th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) in 2007 prompted the DEA to specifically designate oripavine as a basic class of controlled substance in schedule II of the CSA.

Evaluation of hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography stationary phases for analysis of opium alkaloids.

The separation of a mixture containing five major opium alkaloids, namely morphine, codeine, thebaine, noscapine and papaverine has been investigated in hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) mode using five different stationary phases: bare silica, zwitterion, aminopropyl, diol and cyanopropyl. In order to propose the appropriate column for separation and purification, retention behaviors of the five natural opioids have been studied on mentioned HILIC stationary phases. The mechanism of separation in diverse HILIC media, based on the formation of water-rich layer on surface of the HILIC stationary phases and the physicochemical properties of opium alkaloids, such as pKa (acidic pK) and the octanol-water distribution coefficient (log Do/w) are discussed. Chromatographic responses including modified limit of detection LODm, signal to noise ratio (S/N)m, and defined modified RSm have considered for suggestion of the suitable column for quantitative/qualitative and preparative purposes. According to the obtained results, diol stationary phase is best suited for analytical chromatography, whereas bare silica and zwitterionic stationary phases are appropriate for preparative applications.

Determination of morphine and related alkaloids in crude morphine, poppy straw and opium preparations by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography.

A rapid method for the determination of morphine and related alkaloids in crude morphine, poppy straw and opium preparations by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEKC) has been developed. Morphine, codeine, thebaine, oripavine, papaverine, narcotine, narceine, cryptopine and salutaridine were separated in less than 10 min using a 70 cm x 50 microm I.D. uncoated fused-silica capillary column with a buffer consisting of 10% dimethylformamide, 90% 0.05 M cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, 0.01 M potassium dihydrogen orthophosphate, 0.01 M sodium tetraborate, pH 8.6. An applied voltage of -25 kV and a temperature of 28 degrees C gave the best separation of the alkaloids. Pholcodine was used as the internal standard. The compounds were detected by UV at 254 nm. The levels of morphine and related alkaloids determined by MEKC were in good agreement with those determined by high-performance liquid-chromatography (HPLC). The coefficients of variation for area calculation (%C.V.) for multiple sample and standard injections by MEKC were slightly greater than for HPLC but were still acceptable (morphine content of poppy straw: %C.V. MEKC 1.7%, %C.V. HPLC 0.3%).

Quantitative determination of morphine in paregoric USP by high-pressure liquid chromatography.

The quantitative determination of morphine in paregoric by reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography is described. The method is simple, accurate, and fast compared to the USP method. Benzoic acid in paregoric also can be determined quantitatively with the same column. The method was applied to two commercial samples with excellent results.

Assay of major and minor constituents of opium samples and studies of their origin.

Samples of opium from different countries as well as from various regions of India were studied for their morphine and codeine content by gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) as their silyl ethers in a single step. Non-phenolic alkaloids (thebaine, papaverine and narcotine) were extracted with dichloromethane for GLC after conversion of the meconic acid, morphine and codeine in opium into insoluble salts with lime water. The data on alkaloidal constituents have been utilised in a determination of the origin of seized opium samples in this preliminary study.

[Influence of fertilizers on yield and yield components of opium from Papaver somniferum Linn].

The effect of fertilizer on the yield and yield components of opium from Papaver somniferum L.cv.Ikkanshu were investigated from 1993 to 1995. The weight of opium per one capsule was tendency to increase in the order of peat moss > pulverized charcoal > compound fertilizer, but the differences among the results were not significant. Furthermore, no difference in the capsule weight per 100 m2 and the yields of opium and alkaloids per 100 m2 were detected. The significant difference was only observed when the data were compared among the weights and yields of different years. The difference among the yield of opium was mainly due to the weight of opium per one capsule. The weight of opium per one capsule showed a high correlation with capsule husk weight. The alkaloids contents in opium obtained with a different fertilizer application showed no difference. Morphine content at the first lancing was about 11%, and the value decreased with the order of lancing. On the contrary, the codeine and the thebaine content did not change during lancing and the value were 6-7% and 3%, respectively. The papaverine and the noscapine content decreased in the order of lancing.

Analysis of omnoponum by surface-ionization mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry methods.

This paper provides the development of analytical capabilities of surface-ionization mass spectrometry (SI/MS) and high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS/MS) for narcotic analgesic omnoponum, which perfectly exemplifies a mixture of opium alkaloids. It has been revealed that the investigated opiates solution, omnoponum, is ionized by the surface ionization (SI) method with high sensitivity. In the SI mass spectrum, M+, (M-H)+, (M-H-2nH)+, (M-R)+ and (M-R-2nH)+ ion lines, where M is a molecule, H is the hydrogen atom and R is a radical, were observed. These ion lines consist of combined omnoponum mixture SI mass spectra, i.e. morphine, codeine, thebaine, papaverine, and narcotine. Moreover, while the study of omnoponum by HPLC/MS/MS methods has attested that the mixture really consists of 5 components, it has been demonstrated that the SI/MS method can be utilized for the analysis of this mixture without the necessity of its chromatographic separation.

[Quantitative determination of morphine in opium powder by addition and correlation method using capillary electrophoresis].

The morphine in opium powder has been quantitatively determined by addition and correlation method (ACM), in which capillary zone electrophoresis was applied, and the average recovery was 100.6%. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of migration time was not more than 2.4%, the RSD of relative migration time was not more than 1.1%, and the RSD of the relative area was not more than 0.51%. Meanwhile, the contrast test has been done by the calibration curve method with an internal standard correlation. The content of morphine in opium powder determined by ACM was the same as that by using the calibration curve method with an internal standard correlated. The study shows that ACM is simple, quick and accurate.