Biotech Studies 2000, Vol 9, Num, 1     (Pages: 056-060)

OIL AND MORPHİNE CONTENTS OF TURKISH POPPY POPULATIONS

Neşet ARSLAN ,Refik BÜYÜKGÖÇMEN ,Ahmet GÜMÜŞÇÜ

1 A.Ü. Ziraat Fakültesi Tarla Bitkileri Bölümü Dışkapı ANKARA - Poppy, one of the important crops of Turkey is cultivated for its seeds and alkaloids. Incision of green capsules was forbidden in 1974 and morphine extraction from mature capsules has been commenced since 1981 at Bolvadin Opium Alkaloids Factory. More than 400 poppy samples collected from different provinces of Turkey before 1971 on which poppy cultivation was forbidden were multiplicated at Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Ankara. 325 of these samples were analyzed for its oil content and 353 of them for its morphine content. Oil analyses have been carried out at Agronomy Department of Faculty of Agriculture by extraction method using soxhelet apparatus, morphine analyses have been conducted at laboratory of Bolvadin Opium Alkaloids Factory by using HPLC apparatus. According to analysis results, variation among the poppy populations in terms of morphine and oil contents was 0.25-0.89% and 38.65-53.38%. Keywords : Poppy, morphine, oil