Introduction

Argemone mexicana grows abundantly all over the India mainly during the months of March to May. Its seeds are blackish brown, round and netted. These seeds apparently have close resemblance with mustard seeds. Due to this reason, mustard seeds are often adulterated with Argemone mexicana seeds either accidentally or intentionally.

The oil of Argemone mexicana seeds is pale yellow in colour and is almost tasteless. It has a specific gravity of 0.920 and remains clear at -8ºC. It contains toxic alkaloids namely Sanguinarine and Dihydro-sangunarine.

Argemone mexicana is used as a medicinal plant in several countries. Its yellow juice is used in the treatment of Jaundice, cutaneous infections, eye diseases etc. In Nigeria, it is used as a stimulant. In Mexico, the seeds are considered as an antidote to snake venom. In India, the smoke of the seeds is used to relieve toothache.

Argemone mexicana seeds are often mixed as an adulterant with mustard seeds, while extracting oil for edible purposes. Such oils are tremendous health hazard. When consumed, argemone oil produces a condition similar to epidemic dropsy. Several workers have described various instrumental methods for the detection of Argemone oil in the adulterated mustard oil but colour tests and thin layer chromatography are the methods of choice, these being simple, sensitive, reliable and economic. Keeping these significant aspects in view, an attempt has been made in the present study to check to the sensitivity of the conventional colour tests and to develop a new TLC method to sort out this problem.

Argemone seeds are obtained from Argemone Mexican-the yellow flowered poppy plant. Its seeds resem­ble mustard seeds in appearance. These seeds are mixed with mustard seeds during extraction of mustard oil.

Health hazards:

Argemone oil is very toxic and may cause eye disease leading to blindness. Regular consumption of it may also cause disease called epidemic dropsy, resembling wet beriberi.

  • In this disease watery fluid is collected in the tissues of the body causing swelling (edema).
  • It starts with gastro-intestinal disturbances, irregular fever with rashes on exposed parts of the body.
  • In this disease liver is enlarged
  • Eyesight is lost because of glaucoma.
  • It may be even fatal for the person.