The Mexican poppy poisons the Indian mustard facts and figures

Argemone seeds are mixed with mustard seeds either accidentally or purposefully, and, ingestion of this contaminated oil can lead to often fatal "epidemic dropsy". The liver, heart, kidney and lungs are the major target organs of the toxins (the alkaloids, sanguinarine and dihydrosanguinarine) and damage is mostly caused by free radical (singlet oxygen and hydroxyl radical) to the cell membranes. Treatment at present is mainly symptomatic but therapy with anti-secretory agents for glaucoma and anti-oxidants/free radical scavengers for systemic manifestations appear to be logical.