Medicinal use of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L) has ancient history, but the isolation of morphine was not described until the early nineteenth century. Morphine is the most important alkaloid of opium poppy in the last 50 years. In the morphine pathway has been reported to generate morphine in this species, CODM has a crucial role as the gene coding the enzyme respons...

Endogenous codeine and morphine were identified in rat brain by immunological determination following HPLC. To demonstrate occurrence of a biosynthetic pathway to morphine in mammals similar to that used by the poppy plant, (+)-salutaridine, (-)-thebaine, and (-)-codeine were administered to rats intravenously. These compounds, which are intermediates in the synthesis of morphine in Papaver som...

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of native vascular flora in Italy are presented. It includes records, confirmations, and exclusions to Italian administrative regions. New combinations genera Pilosella Roemeria proposed. Furthermore, name Papaver siculum is lectotypified. Nomenclatural updates, published elsewhere, corrigenda provided as Suppl. material 1.

Papaver libanoticum is an endemic plant to Lebanese region (family Papaveraceae) that has not been investigated before. The present study aimed to explore the analgesic activity of dried ethanolic extract of Papaver libanoticum (PLE) using tail flick, hot plate, and acetic acid induced writhing models in mice. The involvement of opioid receptors in the analgesic mechanism was investigated using...