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Papaver Latex and Alkaloid Storage Vacuoles

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Plant Vacuoles

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((NSSA,volume 134))

Abstract

Papaver somniferum L. — the opium poppy — is an annual herb 50–150 cm in height. It is grown commercially under licence as the major source of the opiates codeine and morphine. The creamy colored latex oozes from the cut, unripe capsule and provides a readily available source of the laticifer contents. Opium, the dried exuded latex of the poppy, normally contains at least 25 alkaloids, which probably occur as salts of meconic acid or sulphate. The morphinan alkaloids are the predominant alkaloids in opium with morphine (up to 52% of the total alkaloids), codeine, and thebaine normally present. Papaverine, noscopine, and narceine are also commonly found in significant amounts. Microscopic study by Thureson-Klein (1970) has shown latex to be a multitude of particles suspended in a large central vacuole. This work, with the electron microscopy reported by Dickenson and Fairbairn (1975) and Nessler and Marlberg (1977), has established the presence of fragments of the endoplasmic reticulum, nuclei, mitochondria, Frey-Wyssling particles, and spherical bodies referred to as the 1000xg vacuoles. The bulk of’ these vacuoles contain alkaloids (Fairnbairn and Djote, 1980; Roberts, 1971) and form a distinct pellet when the latex is centrifuged at 1000 x g for 30 minutes. The formation of these vacuoles within the laticifers results from localised dilatation of elongated stacks of endoplasmic reticulum (Thureson-Klein, 1970; Nessler and Marlberg, 1977). Membrane staining with zinc iodine osmium tetroxide suggests that they are analogous to the central vacuole of other cells. However, this has not been conclusively demonstrated in view of the similar staining of dictyosome derived vacuoles reported by Danwalder and Whaley (1973) and Marty (1973 a and b).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Pharmacy, University of London, 29/39, Brunswick Square, London, WC1N 1AX, England, UK

    Margaret F. Roberts

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  1. Margaret F. Roberts
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  1. Institut Français de Recherche Scientifique pour le Dévelopment en Coopération, ORSTOM, Paris, France

    Bernard Marin

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© 1987 Plenum Press, New York

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Roberts, M.F. (1987). Papaver Latex and Alkaloid Storage Vacuoles. In: Marin, B. (eds) Plant Vacuoles. NATO ASI Series, vol 134. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5341-6_65

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5341-6_65

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

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