Mesostructured Silica-Coated Magnetic Nanoparticles to Extract Six Opium Alkaloids in Poppy Seeds Prior to Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Analysis

In recent years, health authorities have become increasingly concerned about preventing consumer exposure to opium alkaloids present in Papaver somniferum L. poppy seeds. In this study, a simple, rapid and efficient method has been optimised to determine all main opioids in poppy seeds (morphine, codeine, thebaine, papaverine, noscapine and oripavine) by UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS. For this purpose, solid-liquid extraction (SLE) of samples was optimised and six magnetic adsorbent materials with a core of Fe3O4 coated with amorphous and mesostructured silica, both functionalised with octadecyl-silane or octyl-silane were characterised and evaluated for magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE). The material with the best results was non-functionalised mesostructured silica and, with it, the MSPE procedure was optimised. This method was validated and used to quantify six opioids in 14 edible seed samples (eleven poppy seeds and three seed mixes). Considerable amounts were found (1.5–249.0 mg/kg morphine, <0.2 µg/kg–45.8 mg/kg codeine, <2.4 µg/kg–136.2 mg/kg thebaine, <0.2 µg/kg–27.1 mg/kg papaverine, <0.2 µg/kg–108.7 mg/kg noscapine and <240 µg/kg–33.4 mg/kg oripavine), exceeding maximum limits established in some EU countries and the reference level of morphine in the EU. Furthermore, in some commercial samples for human consumption, inadequate labelling was found because significant amounts of alkaloids were detected even though Papaver rhoeas L. seeds were declared on the product label.

Natural opium products in the modern structure of drug poisoning (literature review and results of drug screening for 1990-2020)

Despite the rapid increase in synthetic drug use in the United States, the European Union, and many other parts of the world, narcotic and psychoactive substances of natural origin remain relevant to toxicologists. Aim. To analyze the results of drug screening of opium drugs in 1990-2020 and their impact on the formation of acute unintentional poisoning among the adult population of Kyiv. Materials and Мethods. A retrospective analysis of the reports of the toxicological laboratory of the Kyiv City Clinical Emergency Hospital for 1990-2020 on the results of chemical-toxicological screening for drug content in persons diagnosed with "Acute drug poisoning" (ICD-10: T40.0-T40.3). Methods used: Immuno-chromatographic analysis (ICA), thin layer chromatography (TLC) and gas-liquid chromatography with mass spectral detection (GC/MS). Results. According to official data in Ukraine in 2019, the substances that caused people to seek medical help are distributed as follows: opioids – 68.53%; cannabinoids – 6.84%; cocaine – 0.08%; hallucinogens – 0.04%; other drugs – 24.51%. Among those who died as a result of drug poisoning, the proportion of opiates T40.2 (codeine, morphine) was 16%; opium T40.0 – 4%; methadone T40.3 – 23%; other drugs T40.4 (pethidine) – 2%, which together is 45%. According to the results of chemical-toxicological screening for opiate content, it was found that the first step in the average annual growth rate is occupied by: buprenorphine (+7.95%), morphine (+7.6%) and heroin (+6.04%). The number of positive tests decreased in the group of opiates –"shirka" (–9.38%) and opium alkaloids (–2.55%). Over the last 10 years, there has been a progressive increase in the annual number of positive tests for methadone content (+39.3%) at R 2 =8904, which indicates a high stability of the growth rate. Conclusions. Opiates continue to occupy an important segment in the structure of drugs, where their positions for the period 1990-2020 strengthened buprenorphine, morphine and heroin against the weakening of the position of opium ("shirka") and opium alkaloids; at the same time there is a rapid increase in the proportion of semisynthetic and synthetic opioids. These changes necessitate continuous improvement of methods of chemical and toxicological studies of opium products, clinical diagnosis and prevention of related poisonings.

Genetic Variability, Correlation and Path Analysis among Quantitative and Qualitative Traits of Opium Poppy (Papaver somniferum L.)

Background: The poppy seeds commonly known as ‘khus-khus’ or ‘postadana’, obtained from opium poppy plant (Papaver somniferum L.) is known one of the world’s oldest medicinal plant. Its alkaloids, seeds and oil used since time immemorial for therapeutic, food stuffs and economical purpose. An effective breeding program plays an important role for selection, genetic improvement and development of high yielding cultivars/variety in opium poppy. Therefore, a study was conceded out to evaluate the genetic variability, path analysis for different agronomic traits along with their major chemical constituents of opium alkaloids in 30 accessions/landraces of opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) collected from different geographical places of India. Methods: The 30 genotypes of Opium poppy including different breeding lines and landraces collected from different places were grown in year (2017-18) in randomized complete-block designs (RCBD) with three replications at the research farm of CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), Lucknow. Morpho-metric data were recorded on five competitive randomly selected plants in each line for following thirteen traits. Dried husk/straw capsules were chemically analyzed through HPLC. The pooled mean data were statistically analysed by using Windostat statistical software 4.0 versions available at Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, CSIR-CIMAP Lucknow. Result: Variation among the mean of thirty diverse genetic stocks was highly significant (p less than 0.01) for all thirteen traits. High heritability coupled with high Genetic advance as percent mean (GAM) and Genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) for the traits Thebaine and Nosacapine. The results of associations studies revealed that the trait capsule/plant was positively and significantly correlated with seed (g)yield/plant (gm) and nosacapine at both genotypic and phenotypic level. According to results, a significant genetic variability was also present among 30 accessions, simple selection can be employed to improve seed yield along with alkaloids yield.

Dynamics in diagnoses and pharmacotherapy before and after diagnosing idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

BackgroundIdiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a well-characterised interstitial lung disease. Typically, IPF diagnosis is delayed due to nonspecific symptoms, but can also be delayed due to treatment attempts on false indication or due to treatment targeting common comorbidities. This observational study aimed to assess the dynamics in the medication and diagnosis patterns in the period before and after an IPF diagnosis.MethodsWe identified all Danish patients with IPF between 2002 and 2017. We evaluated new and ongoing drug treatments and incident diagnoses 36 months before and 12 months after an IPF diagnosis by use of Danish nationwide registries. To aid interpretation, 10 random controls were recruited for each case.ResultsA total of 650 IPF patients were identified (median age 73 years (interquartile range 65–78), 70.3% males). Prior to the IPF diagnosis, the most prevalent diagnoses were dyspnoea and non-IPF interstitial lung diseases. For drug use, IPF patients had higher initiation rates for antibiotics, oral corticosteroids and mucolytics. In terms of drug volume, IPF patients used more respiratory drugs, antibiotics, immunosuppressants, corticosteroids, proton pump inhibitors, benzodiazepines and opium alkaloids within the 6 months preceding their IPF diagnosis, compared to the controls. Overall drug use decreased after an IPF diagnosis, mainly due to a reduced glucocorticoid and cardiovascular drug use.ConclusionAmong IPF patients, an increased drug use was observed for diagnoses with symptoms overlapping those of IPF, particularly this was observed during the last 6 months before an IPF diagnosis. This emphasises the need for an increased IPF awareness.