Red Poppy in Botany

 

Red Poppy in Botany

Red poppy is an annual plant with 25 to 60 cm height, and growing in fields. Bozcaada has also a rich red poppy fields. Its petals are reach in scarlet color and black part at the base. The used parts of red poppy are mainly the red petals. In some places the seeds are used in bakery, green parts as vegetable

The fresh petals are used to prepare the syrup. But the hint is not to use the black parts at the base, near the capsule since this part contains an alcaloid called thebaine.
 

The most difficult part of praparing the syrup is to cut off the black part of the flowers. A person can process only 250 g of usable material in a day.

Recent researchs indicate the flavonoids role as contributors in the reduction of risk of several chronic diseases. 

Flavonoids are plant polyphenols and the red poppy petals have two of them: 

cyanidin-B and pelargonidin-C. Cyanidin is the same flavonıid found in red wine which recent studies show the preventive effect against cancer and heart diseases..

 

RESOURCES

1- Farmasötik Botanik, Prof.Dr. A.Baytop, İstanbul,1972

2- http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/p/popred63.html

3- www.dreddyclinic.com

4- Yaşasın Hayat, Prof.Dr.Osman Müftüoğlu,2003

5- Chemistry of Colors

6- Fractions of anthocyanins in petals of Centaurea cyanus L. and Papaver rhoeas L.

7- The protective ability of Mediterranean dietary plants against the oxidative damage: The role of radical oxygen species in inflammation and the polyphenol, flavonoid and sterol contents