Über den Alkaloidgehalt des Ziermohns

Abstract

17 varieties of ornamental poppy - cultivated in West Germany - (cultivar. of Papaver orientale L., P. pseudo-orientale (Fedde) Medw. and P. bracteatum (Lindl.) were examined for their alkaloid composition and for their content in the ripe capsules. Contents between 0.2 and 1.2 per cent were found, depending on the variety with isothebaine and thebaine as the main alkaloids. One group contains only isothebaine, another one thebaine besides isothebaine, and in a relatively small group thebaine proved to be the main alkaloid. As shown in the discussion, there is no reasonable evidence to forbid cultivating ornamental poppy.