Concentrations of morphine and codeine in serum and urine after ingestion of poppy seeds.

Abstract

We measured morphine and codeine in commercially available poppy seeds and in serum and urine samples from healthy adults who had ingested these poppy seeds. Four brands of black poppy seeds, examined by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) with deuterated internal standards, contained from 17 to 294 micrograms of morphine and 3 to 14 micrograms of codeine per gram of seeds. Morphine was detected by GC-MS in hydrolysates of serum as late as 24 h after ingestion, with a maximum mean concentration of 100 ng/mL (range 82-131) measured 2 h after the subjects ingested 25 g of seeds. Opiates were detectable (greater than 300 micrograms/L) in urine by enzyme-multiplied immunoassay (EMIT; Syva Co.) and by radioimmunoassay screening procedures for as long as 48 h after ingestion. The identity and quantities of morphine and codeine in poppy seed extracts and in hydrolysates of serum and urine were confirmed by GC-MS. Therefore a positive finding of morphine or codeine in blood and urine may sometimes be due to ingestion of poppy seeds.

Confirmation of recent heroin abuse: Accepting the challenge

“…However, same as with 6-MAM, no distinction can be made between the administration of pharmaceutical heroin or street heroin based on morphine detection. Additionally, owing to its frequent occurrence in opium latex (8-30%), [89][90][91] the presence of morphine may also be caused by ingestion of poppy seed containing food, [92][93][94][95][96][97][98][99][100][101][102][103][104][105] by consumption of opium preparations, 106,107 as well as by intake of certain medication containing, for example, morphine, codeine, or ethylmorphine. [83][84][85][86] Problems associated with the use of such morphine-containing products in WDT led to changes in cut-off thresholds for opiate testing.…”

“…While morphine and codeine can be found in serum after poppy seed consumption preponderantly in the conjugated form, positive finding of free morphine and free codeine in urine have been described repeatedly. 93,101,155 Due to the hydrolysis reaction, which usually Excluding a poppy seed consumption, co-detection of morphine and codeine in urine can be due to street heroin administration, opium consumption, or ingestion of codeine, respectively. However, a clear differentiation between these three opiate-containing preparations solely based on the urinary detection of morphine and codeine is extremely difficult.…”

Scientific Opinion on the risks for public health related to the presence of opium alkaloids in poppy seeds

“…In other publications there were reports of a sensation of repletion, lethargy (Blaschek et al, 1998) or obstipation (Rochholz et al, 2004) as adverse reactions after consuming poppy seed-containing pastry without morphine or codeine intake being quantified. Hayes et al (1987) carried out blood tests in four test persons after consumption of 25 g poppy seeds with 294 mg morphine/kg and 14 mg codeine/kg, equivalent to intake of 7.5 mg morphine and 0.4 mg codeine. After hydrolysis with beta-glucuronidase they showed 82 -131 ng total (conjugated and unconjugated) morphine/ml serum (2 hours after consumption).…”

Biomarkers of opiate use

“…More specifically, morphine is excreted primarily in the early hours after the intake and very little is found after 12 h (28). Nevertheless, intake of mixtures of codeine and morphine or codeine and heroin obviously complicates the interpretation of morphine/codeine ratios in blood (58).…”