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All 8 posts Subject: Opium Poppy Lacking Morphine Please login to post Down

scarmani
(Hive Bee)
09-23-04 13:09
No 532829
User Picture       Opium Poppy Lacking Morphine

Advance Reported in Nonaddictive Painkiller
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 22 (HealthDayNews) -- While the opium poppy is the source for compounds needed to make potent painkillers such as oxycodone and other medicines, it is also the source for the illegal drug heroin.

Australian researchers say they have solved that problem by creating a plant that does not produce morphine, but only the compounds thebaine and oripavine, which can be developed synthetically into nonaddictive painkillers. Their report appears in the Sept. 24 issue of Nature.

"We have uncovered a variant of the opium poppy that does not make morphine or codeine," said lead researcher Philip J. Larkin, a senior principal research scientist from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization in Acton. "Instead, it accumulates two molecules that occur in the pathway before morphine, namely thebaine and oripavine."

The legal growers of poppies use thebaine and oripavine in the synthesis of valuable and powerful painkillers and treatments for drug overdose and alcoholism, such as oxycodone (OxyContin), buprenorphine (Subutex), naloxone (Narcan) and naltrexone (ReVia), Larkin said.

This new poppy makes it easier to get these compounds from the plants and also increases the yield of thebaine and oripavine in each plant. "By having crops that produce these compounds undiluted, enormous efficiencies have been put into the process of manufacturing these pharmaceuticals," he said.

Poppy farmers in Tasmania are already growing this new poppy on more than 50 percent of their land. Tasmania grows more than 40 percent of the world's legally traded opium, Larkin said. The development of this new poppy was a joint effort between the Tasmanian Alkaloid Co., supplier of thebaine and oripavine, and the Australian government.

India, France, and some Eastern European countries also produce legal opium.

By manufacturing thebaine more efficiently, oxycodone, and buprenorphine can be made more efficiently and in larger quantities, Larkin said.

Larkin's team has also been trying to understand the genetic changes in the poppy they created. "This will allow us to engineer the plant for other pharmaceutical purposes, such as anticancer agents," he said.

"An ingenious and brave colleague from the Tasmanian Alkaloid Co. had the idea to simply mutate seeds of opium poppies," said Meinhart H. Zenk, a professor of plant biology from University Halle in Germany. "The result was surprising and yielded stable mutants."

"We all would have suspected that mutation of diploid seeds would lead nowhere, but he had the guts to successfully try it," Zenk said.

http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/health/feeds/hscout/2004/09/22/hscout521294.html

This article is pretty sloppy. Last time I checked, oxycodone was addictive. It's always funny that compounds with similar pharmacology are treated in such contradictory ways: diacetylmorphine is a terrifying and destructive illegal drug; whereas oxycodone is a fruit of the ever-inventive pharmaceutical industry, a valuable pain-treatment that alleviates the suffering of cancer patients. Goes to show the importance of context and the relativity of perception. I suspect when the patents on oxycontin expire in a few years, so will the legitimacy (or should that read "excess corporate profitability") of the drug.

On the other hand, this article is kind of interesting from the angle of genetics. It seems like a number of psychoactive plants are not just being bred, but being intentionally engineered, to achieve specific properties. The future of "illicit" drugs may lie partly with genetically engineered organisms. When will a bee make a strain of yeast that synthesizes DMT? I can't wait... just imagine, a portable chemical reactor that needs nothing more than sugar, water and amino acids as inputs -- takes only a few days to work its magic -- and that reproduces itself indefinitely, so it can never be controlled! With the advance and spread of biotechnology, it's becoming more and more in reach every day.

The genius of it is it only has to be done once... the information, once encoded in the form of DNA, can never be lost... it can only multiply... and this technology is democratic too - no need for glassware and fume hoods and specialized reagents - one single lab procedure at one single point in history can thereafter spread the ability to "synthesize DMT" to anyone who can ferment yeast for bread, in perpetuity. Anyone for homebrew?

Post 69331 (bumblebeetuna: "YEAST+SUGAR+H2O=DRUGS", Tryptamine Chemistry)
Post 172891 (Xenonpill: "Enzyme Sequences", Tryptamine Chemistry)
Post 199197 (Jacked: "Biosynth: Homebrewing Ephedrine", Serious Chemistry)
Post 207146 (Gen_Washington: "Genomes for coca or opium deciphered yet?", Novel Discourse)
Post 208763 (meme: "Entheogenomic Research", Tryptamine Chemistry)

damn! the "Tasmanian Alkaloid Co." name is taken! foiled again!

2benubee
(Stranger)
09-24-04 00:21
No 532921
User Picture       They also use these so even the farmer doesn't

They also use these so even the farmer doesn't know if he is growing the goods or not.It makes it hard for people to rip of the good stuff coz chances are you'll get the dud !!! laugh

meat is YUMMY....

paranoid
(Quick-witted Quibbler)
09-24-04 15:23
No 532990
User Picture       "This article is pretty sloppy.

"This article is pretty sloppy. Last time I checked, oxycodone was addictive"

No kidding! And not only is it addictive, some consider it worse than morphine for causing long-term dependence. That however may have had more to do with how easily obtained it is and poorly educated users are on it's nature.

My ideal vacation - Juxtaposed along the precipice intersecting reality and fantasy (i.e. wanking).

LoW_JacK
(Hive Martyr)
09-24-04 17:20
No 533004
User Picture       Re: This article is pretty sloppy.

This article is pretty sloppy. Last time I checked, oxycodone was addictive.

Your right. But maybe now that they have a new higher yeilding source of buprenorphine precursors, they'll drop it down to under $350 for a 30 day supply of 2-8mg tabs.

Probably not. They dont want anyone to actually be able to afford to stop using drugs such as heroin. Shit, heroin is the US governments biggest, secret cash cow.
No uninsured milking allowed. All milk seekers herd on over to them methadone clinics and solidify your opiate addiction via dolophine.

http://www.dodgeit.com

Xaja
(Hive Bee)
09-25-04 07:26
No 533093
User Picture       Hmmmmm....

SWIX best start paying more attention to that genetics I think..

Can anybee say 'recombinant DNA', or 'genes responsible for biochem pathway to cocaine', or 'transforming suitable plant with suitable vector'??? laugh

Ahh, the time will come, the time will come hehe.... wink

***FriedPiper***

I don't have a drug problem! ...I've got heaps.

biotechdude
09-25-04 15:11
      well fuck me
(Rated as: insignificant)

buz
(Hive Bee)
09-26-04 14:10
No 533245
      can these bad poppies cross breed?

i wonder if these morphine free poppies will infect the normal poppy?

paranoid
09-26-04 16:10
      "Thats interesting.
(Rated as: insignificant)

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	All 8 posts		Subject: Opium Poppy Lacking Morphine		Please login to post		Down


		scarmani (Hive Bee) 09-23-04 13:09 No 532829				Opium Poppy Lacking Morphine
						Advance Reported in Nonaddictive Painkiller By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, Sept. 22 (HealthDayNews) -- While the opium poppy is the source for compounds needed to make potent painkillers such as oxycodone and other medicines, it is also the source for the illegal drug heroin. Australian researchers say they have solved that problem by creating a plant that does not produce morphine, but only the compounds thebaine and oripavine, which can be developed synthetically into nonaddictive painkillers. Their report appears in the Sept. 24 issue of Nature. "We have uncovered a variant of the opium poppy that does not make morphine or codeine," said lead researcher Philip J. Larkin, a senior principal research scientist from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization in Acton. "Instead, it accumulates two molecules that occur in the pathway before morphine, namely thebaine and oripavine." The legal growers of poppies use thebaine and oripavine in the synthesis of valuable and powerful painkillers and treatments for drug overdose and alcoholism, such as oxycodone (OxyContin), buprenorphine (Subutex), naloxone (Narcan) and naltrexone (ReVia), Larkin said. This new poppy makes it easier to get these compounds from the plants and also increases the yield of thebaine and oripavine in each plant. "By having crops that produce these compounds undiluted, enormous efficiencies have been put into the process of manufacturing these pharmaceuticals," he said. Poppy farmers in Tasmania are already growing this new poppy on more than 50 percent of their land. Tasmania grows more than 40 percent of the world's legally traded opium, Larkin said. The development of this new poppy was a joint effort between the Tasmanian Alkaloid Co., supplier of thebaine and oripavine, and the Australian government. India, France, and some Eastern European countries also produce legal opium. By manufacturing thebaine more efficiently, oxycodone, and buprenorphine can be made more efficiently and in larger quantities, Larkin said. Larkin's team has also been trying to understand the genetic changes in the poppy they created. "This will allow us to engineer the plant for other pharmaceutical purposes, such as anticancer agents," he said. "An ingenious and brave colleague from the Tasmanian Alkaloid Co. had the idea to simply mutate seeds of opium poppies," said Meinhart H. Zenk, a professor of plant biology from University Halle in Germany. "The result was surprising and yielded stable mutants." "We all would have suspected that mutation of diploid seeds would lead nowhere, but he had the guts to successfully try it," Zenk said. http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/health/feeds/hscout/2004/09/22/hscout521294.html This article is pretty sloppy. Last time I checked, oxycodone was addictive. It's always funny that compounds with similar pharmacology are treated in such contradictory ways: diacetylmorphine is a terrifying and destructive illegal drug; whereas oxycodone is a fruit of the ever-inventive pharmaceutical industry, a valuable pain-treatment that alleviates the suffering of cancer patients. Goes to show the importance of context and the relativity of perception. I suspect when the patents on oxycontin expire in a few years, so will the legitimacy (or should that read "excess corporate profitability") of the drug. On the other hand, this article is kind of interesting from the angle of genetics. It seems like a number of psychoactive plants are not just being bred, but being intentionally engineered, to achieve specific properties. The future of "illicit" drugs may lie partly with genetically engineered organisms. When will a bee make a strain of yeast that synthesizes DMT? I can't wait... just imagine, a portable chemical reactor that needs nothing more than sugar, water and amino acids as inputs -- takes only a few days to work its magic -- and that reproduces itself indefinitely, so it can never be controlled! With the advance and spread of biotechnology, it's becoming more and more in reach every day. The genius of it is it only has to be done once... the information, once encoded in the form of DNA, can never be lost... it can only multiply... and this technology is democratic too - no need for glassware and fume hoods and specialized reagents - one single lab procedure at one single point in history can thereafter spread the ability to "synthesize DMT" to anyone who can ferment yeast for bread, in perpetuity. Anyone for homebrew? Post 69331 (bumblebeetuna: "YEAST+SUGAR+H2O=DRUGS", Tryptamine Chemistry) Post 172891 (Xenonpill: "Enzyme Sequences", Tryptamine Chemistry) Post 199197 (Jacked: "Biosynth: Homebrewing Ephedrine", Serious Chemistry) Post 207146 (Gen_Washington: "Genomes for coca or opium deciphered yet?", Novel Discourse) Post 208763 (meme: "Entheogenomic Research", Tryptamine Chemistry) damn! the "Tasmanian Alkaloid Co." name is taken! foiled again!



		2benubee (Stranger) 09-24-04 00:21 No 532921				They also use these so even the farmer doesn't
						They also use these so even the farmer doesn't know if he is growing the goods or not.It makes it hard for people to rip of the good stuff coz chances are you'll get the dud !!! meat is YUMMY....



		paranoid (Quick-witted Quibbler) 09-24-04 15:23 No 532990				"This article is pretty sloppy.
						"This article is pretty sloppy. Last time I checked, oxycodone was addictive" No kidding! And not only is it addictive, some consider it worse than morphine for causing long-term dependence. That however may have had more to do with how easily obtained it is and poorly educated users are on it's nature. My ideal vacation - Juxtaposed along the precipice intersecting reality and fantasy (i.e. wanking).



		LoW_JacK (Hive Martyr) 09-24-04 17:20 No 533004				Re: This article is pretty sloppy.
						This article is pretty sloppy. Last time I checked, oxycodone was addictive. Your right. But maybe now that they have a new higher yeilding source of buprenorphine precursors, they'll drop it down to under $350 for a 30 day supply of 2-8mg tabs. Probably not. They dont want anyone to actually be able to afford to stop using drugs such as heroin. Shit, heroin is the US governments biggest, secret cash cow. No uninsured milking allowed. All milk seekers herd on over to them methadone clinics and solidify your opiate addiction via dolophine. http://www.dodgeit.com



		Xaja (Hive Bee) 09-25-04 07:26 No 533093				Hmmmmm....
						SWIX best start paying more attention to that genetics I think.. Can anybee say 'recombinant DNA', or 'genes responsible for biochem pathway to cocaine', or 'transforming suitable plant with suitable vector'??? Ahh, the time will come, the time will come hehe.... *FriedPiper* I don't have a drug problem! ...I've got heaps.



		biotechdude 09-25-04 15:11				well fuck me (Rated as: insignificant)



		buz (Hive Bee) 09-26-04 14:10 No 533245				can these bad poppies cross breed?
						i wonder if these morphine free poppies will infect the normal poppy?



		paranoid 09-26-04 16:10				"Thats interesting. (Rated as: insignificant)

All 8 posts	End of thread	Top