Applicability of LC-QToF and microscopic tools in combating 2 the sophisticated, economically motivated adulteration of 3 poppy seeds

Authors: BHARATI, AVULA - University Of Mississippi; KATRAGUNTA, KUMAR - University Of Mississippi; ADAMS, SEBASTIAN JOHN - University Of Mississippi; WANG, YAN-HONG - University Of Mississippi; CHITTIBOYINA, AMAR - University Of Mississippi; KHAN, IKHLAS - University Of Mississippi

Submitted to: Foods
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/30/2023
Publication Date: 4/3/2023
Citation: Avula, B.; Katragunta, K.; Adams, S.J.; Wang, Y.-H.; Chittiboyina, A.G.; Khan, I.A. Applicability of LC-QToF and Microscopical Tools in Combating the Sophisticated, Economically Motivated Adulteration of Poppy Seeds. Foods 2023, 12, 1510. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12071510
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12071510

Interpretive Summary: Poppy seeds are obtained from the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.), belonging to the family Papaveraceae. These are edible, tiny, kidney-shaped seeds harvested as a source of alkaloid compounds for the pharmaceutical industry and food industry. A wide spectrum of poppy seed color variants, like white, yellow-brown, red-brown, red-lilac, blue-grey, and dark blue to black-colored, are in commerce and can easily substitute one with the other. Analytical method using LC-QToF was developed for (1) establishing the identity, quality, and detection of adulterants of poppy seeds, (2) quantitatively analyzing five opiates (morphine, codeine, thebaine, noscapine and papaverine). Post-processing studies were evaluated of the reduction of five opiates during washing steps, and (3) untargeted fast screening method was described to investigate the poppy seed authenticity. Forty-seven alkaloids were tentatively identified. Such diverse alkaloids could be helpful in the discrimination between species in seeds of the genus Papaver, as well as for detection of any added adulterants or substituents. This study also provides examples of the detailed anatomy of poppy seeds along with photomicrographs of light and scanning electron microscopy to properly identification and authentication of poppy seeds.

Technical Abstract: Morphine and codeine are the two principal opiates in the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) and are therapeutically used for pain management. Poppy seeds with low opiates are primarily used for culinary practices due to their nutritional and sensory attributes. Intentional adulteration of poppy seeds is common, often combined with immature, less expensive, exhausted seeds or morphologically similar seeds, viz., amaranthus, quinoa, and sesame. Preventive measures must be implemented to mitigate contamination or adulteration for a safer food supply chain. Moreover, the simultaneous analysis of P. somniferum and its adulterants is largely unknown. Pre-and post-processes further complicate the alkaloid content and may pose a significant health hazard. Two independent methods were investigated with eight botanically verified and 15 commercial samples to address these issues. Macro and microscopical features were established for the authenticity of raw poppy seeds. Morphine, codeine, and thebaine quantities ranged from 0.8–223, 0.2–386, and 0.1–176 mg/kg, respectively, using LC-QToF. In most cases, conventional opiates are higher than papaverine and noscapine. The analytical methodology provided a chemical profile of 47 compounds that can be effectively applied to distinguish the poppy seeds from their adulterants and may serve as an effective tool to combat ongoing adulteration.