Notes

Poppy Cloth
Poppy Cloth is a collection of stories, poems and essays about the opium poppy and the narcotics it produces. In addition to morphine, codeine and thebaine, the seeds also contain many other chemicals with medicinal properties. This collection was published in 1998 and is available in hardcover from the publisher.

In the nineteenth century, opium produced a tremendous economic boost for nations that harvested the crop. It was a key ingredient in a variety of medicines, and it spurred the Romantic revolution in literature and poetry. Its influence extended well beyond its production to include an integral role in the war effort, the economy, politics and even international relations.

Despite its prominence in history, today, the average American is largely unaware of the opium poppy and its potential dangers. In fact, most people don't know that the seeds from the poppies they eat in a poppy seed muffin are loaded with dangerous alkaloids that can make them drowsy or even unconscious. Yet these same seeds are readily available in supermarkets, and their cultivation is legal in most parts of the country.

While the poppy seeds we eat are edible, the seeds from the flowering poppy (Papaver somniferum) can be pressed to produce oil that has multiple commercial and industrial uses. In a 100 gram serving, the seeds provide 525 calories and are a source of thiamin, folate, iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc. They also contain several dietary fibers, including cellulose, arabinogalactans and polyphenols.

Poppy seeds are a popular food additive, used to add flavor and texture to a wide variety of foods, especially baked goods such as breads and cakes. In the United States, a can of poppy seed paste contains 120 calories and 4 grams of fat. The paste itself is made from the seeds mixed with sugar, water and an emulsifier such as soy lecithin to keep them from separating.

poppy merch is known that the level of morphine and other alkaloids present in the seeds depends on factors such as the type of cultivar, growing conditions and harvesting time. However, a study by Koleva and Sproll indicates that the process of grinding and baking may also affect the levels of these alkaloids in the seeds. To test this, raw poppy seeds were heated on the surface of a bakery-style poppy seed roll or left to be heated with no matrix. The seeds from each sample were then homogenized in a spice blender and extracted and analyzed by LC-MS. A comparison of the results shows that a high matrix significantly reduced the levels of morphine and noscapine but not of codeine or thebaine. Noscapine was found only in the seeds from source #2, which was also identified as having the highest levels of morphine. The peaks from the other sources were too small to be quantified. The differences in alkaloid peaks between the harvested seeds, the seeds heated on the bakery-style poppy seed rolls and those heated without a matrix are consistent with the findings of other studies.
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