<i>Papaver somniferum </i>strain with high concentration of thebaine

摘要

The present invention is directed to an improved poppy straw, concentrate of poppy straw and opium of Papaver somniferum for the production of thebaine containing little or no oripavine, codeine or morphine. The present invention also provides plants, stands and seeds of Papaver somniferum and methods for the production of thebaine.

主权项

1. A poppy plant of Papaver somniferum having a stably heritable thebaine-only chemotype which plant upon the harvesting of its poppy capsules will yield a poppy straw having thebaine constituting about 95% by weight or greater of an alkaloid combination, and having oripavine constituting about 5% by weight or less of the alkaloid combination, wherein the alkaloid combination comprises morphine, codeine, thebaine and oripavine; and wherein thebaine constitutes about 3.0% or greater of the poppy straw on a dry weight basis,
wherein the thebaine-only chemotype is provided by two independent genes, the first preventing thebaine being converted to neopinone, and preventing oripavine being converted into morphinone, and the second blocking the pathway between thebaine and oripavine.