''Argemone mexicana'' (Mexican poppy, Mexican prickly poppy, flowering thistle, cardo or cardosanto) is a species of

poppy A poppy is a flowering plant in the subfamily Papaveroideae of the family Papaveraceae. Poppies are herbaceous plants, often grown for their colourful flowers. One species of poppy, '' Papaver somniferum'', is the source of the narcotic drug o ...

found in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

and now widely naturalized in many parts of the world. An extremely hardy pioneer plant, it is tolerant of drought and poor soil, often being the only cover on new road cuttings or verges. It has bright yellow

latex Latex is an emulsion (stable dispersion) of polymer microparticles in water. Latexes are found in nature, but synthetic latexes are common as well. In nature, latex is found as a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants (angiosperms ...

. It is poisonous to grazing animals, and it is rarely eaten, but it has been used medicinally by many peoples, including those in its native area, as well as the

Natives Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

of the western US, parts of

and many parts of India. In India, during the colorful festival

Holika Dahan Holika Dahan (), rendered Holika Dahanam in Sanskrit, is a Hindu occasion that celebrates the legend of the burning of Holika, an asuri, upon a burning pyre, and the salvation of her nephew, Prahlada. It precedes the occasion of Holi, the festi ...

, adults and children worship by offering flowers, and this species is in its maximum flowering phase during March when the Holi festival is celebrated. It is also referred to as "kateli ka phool” in India.

Chemical constituents

''Argemone mexicana'' seeds contain 22–36% of a pale yellow non-edible oil, called ''argemone oil'' or ''katkar oil'', which contains the toxic

alkaloid Alkaloids are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Some synthetic compounds of similar ...

sanguinarine Sanguinarine is a polycyclic quaternary alkaloid. It is extracted from some plants, including the bloodroot plant, from whose taxonomic name, ''Sanguinaria canadensis,'' its name is drawn; the Mexican prickly poppy (''Argemone mexicana''); ''Chel ...

and dihydrosanguinarine. Four quaternary isoquinoline alkaloids, dehydrocorydalmine, jatrorrhizine, columbamine, and oxyberberine, have been isolated from the whole plant of ''Argemone mexicana''. Many other alkaloids such as argemexicaines A and B,

coptisine Coptisine is an alkaloid found in Chinese goldthread (''Coptis chinensis''), greater celandine, and opium. Famous for the bitter taste that it produces, it is used in Chinese herbal medicine along with the related compound berberine Berberine ...

, cryptopine, allocryptopine and

chelerythrine Chelerythrine is a benzophenanthridine alkaloid present in the plant ''Chelidonium majus'' (greater celandine). It is a potent, selective, and cell-permeable protein kinase C inhibitor ''in vitro''. And an efficacious antagonist of G-protein-coup ...

have also been found in this plant. The seed pods secrete a pale yellow latex when cut open. This argemone resin contains

berberine Berberine is a quaternary ammonium salt from the protoberberine group of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids found in such plants as ''Berberis vulgaris'' (barberry), '' Berberis aristata'' (tree turmeric), '' Mahonia aquifolium'' (Oregon grape), '' Hyd ...

and

protopine Protopine is an alkaloid occurring in opium poppy, ''Corydalis'' tubers and other plants of the family papaveraceae, like ''Fumaria officinalis''. Protopine is metabolically derived from the benzylisoquinoline alkaloid ''(S)''- Reticuline through ...

Toxicity

The seeds resemble the seeds of ''

Brassica nigra ''Brassica nigra'', or black mustard, is an annual plant cultivated for its dark-brown-to-black seeds, which are commonly used as a spice. It is native to tropical regions of North Africa, temperate regions of Europe, and parts of Asia. Descri ...

'' (mustard). As a result, mustard can be

adulterated An adulterant is caused by the act of adulteration, a practice of secretly mixing a substance with another. Typical substances that are adulterated include but are not limited to food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, fuel, or other chemicals, th ...

by argemone seeds, rendering it poisonous. Several significant instances of katkar poisoning have been reported in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, Fiji,

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

and other countries. The last major outbreak in

occurred in 1998. 1% adulteration of mustard oil by argemone oil has been shown to cause clinical disease. In India, Argemone oil is mixed with sunflower oil and sesame oil to increase the quantity, but this adulteration causes health disorders and renowned brands display "no argemone oil" to qualify purity. Katkar oil poisoning causes

epidemic dropsy Epidemic dropsy is a form of edema of extremities due to poisoning by ''Argemone mexicana'' (Mexican prickly poppy). Epidemic dropsy is a clinical state resulting from use of edible oils adulterated with ''Argemone mexicana'' seed oil. Sanguin ...

, with symptoms including extreme swelling, particularly of the legs.

Traditional medicine

The Seri of Sonora,

use the entire plant both fresh and dried. An infusion is made to relieve kidney pain post-natally. When the Spanish arrived in Sonora, they called it cardosanto, taken as a

laxative Laxatives, purgatives, or aperients are substances that loosen stools and increase bowel movements. They are used to treat and prevent constipation. Laxatives vary as to how they work and the side effects they may have. Certain stimulant, lubri ...

. An ''Argemone mexicana'' tea is used in Mali to treat

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

. In the

traditional medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...

of India, the yellow sap of ''A. mexicana'' and the whole plant may be used as a supposed treatment for jaundice.

Other uses

Biodiesel Biodiesel is a form of diesel fuel derived from plants or animals and consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made by chemically reacting lipids such as animal fat ( tallow), soybean oil, or some other vegetable oil ...

production from ''A. mexicana'' seed oil using crystalline manganese carbonate has been demonstrated.

References

External links