1. Drugs acting on Nervous System
Opium
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2. Recap In the last class we learnt about The CNS Plant drug EPHEDRA
Ephedra contains Amino alkaloids
Having Sympathomimetic activity
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3. Objectives On completion of this period you would be
able to learn about
The monograph of the CNS Drug
OPIUM
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4. Known to Unknown Have you seen “Nalla Mandu”?
In the good old days people used in Diarrhoea. What is the name of it?
Monks usually what they smoke?
What are the seeds of Opium ?. Name them?
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5. Poppy Fields
Fig.34.1
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6. OPIUM Syn: Nallamandu (Telugu)
Biological Source :
Air dried milky exudate from the
unripe capsules of
Papaver somniferum
Family : Papaveraceae
Geographical Source :
Pakistan, Afghanistan,
Turkey, Russia, China, Iran
In India grown in M.P. & U.P.
Fig.34.2 Poppy capsules
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7. Flowering Opium Fields
Fig.34.3 Opium field
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8. Cultivation Collection and Preparation
Seeds are sown during the sunny days from September to April
A distance of 25cm is kept between plants
Best climatic conditions are cool weather without freezing temp. and cloudiness and sunshine
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9. Collection of Opium
Fig.34.4 Collection of Opium
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10. Incising The Poppy Capsules With Nushturs
Fig.34.5 Incising poppy capsules
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11. Cultivation Collection & Preparation
Flowering occurs during April-May
Unripe capsules green or yellow colour
longitudinally incised with spikes called
NUSHTURS during June-July in the afternoons
The exuded latex is scrapped off with a knife in
the morning
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12. Morphological Characters
LATEX
Shape : Rounded, flattened
masses
Colour : Externally pale olive
or olive grey
Odour : Characteristic odour
Taste : Bitter
Consistency : Quite elastic
when fresh,
becomes
tough, hard and
brittle on storage
Fig.34.6 Incised Poppy capsule
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13. Chemical Constituents
Contains 30 different alkaloids found mostly as the salts Meconic acid and a few with Sulphuric acids
Alkaloids present in Opium can be divided mainly into 2 groups depending on the Amino acid from which they are derived
1. Alkaloids containing Phenanthrene nucleus
2. Alkaloids containing Benzylisoquinoline ring structure
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14. Chemical Constituents
PHENANTHRENE ALKALOIDS
Morphine (4-21%)
Codeine ( %)
Thebaine (0.5-2%)
BENZYLISOQUINOLINE ALKALOIDS
Papaverine
Noscapine (4-8%)
Other alkaloids:
Narceine, Cotarnine, Hydrocotarnine,
Protopine, Lauetanine, Codamine
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15. Chemical Tests 1. Opium is tested for the presence of Meconic acid
Opium dissolved in water
Filtrate + FeCl3
Reddish purple colour
2. Morphine + Conc. H2SO4 + HCH0
Dark violet colour
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16. 3. Morphine solution + Potassium Ferricynide + FeCl3
Chemical Tests
3. Morphine solution + Potassium Ferricynide + FeCl3
Bluish green colour
4. Papaverine solution + HCl + Potassium Ferricyanide
Lemon yellow colour
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17. Uses Shows CNS depressant action Used as Narcotic Analgesic, Hypnotic
Checks excessive peristalsis and is used in the control of Diarrhoea
Source of various useful alkaloids like Morphine, Codeine, Noscapine, Papaverine
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18. Uses
Morphine is used as Narcotic analgesic, cause euphoria and habit forming
Codeine is used as a Sedative, used in cough mixtures as Anti-tussive agent
Noscapine is used as Non-narcotic, has cough suppressant action, acting as a Central anti-tussive agent
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19. Uses
Papaverine is used as Smooth muscle relaxant and used in the treatment of Muscular spasms.
Several semi-synthetic molecules of Opium alkaloids are available
Heroin has more Narcotic analgesic action than Morphine
By losing one molecule of water Morphine gives Apomorphine which Emetic and used to treat poisoning cases
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20. Summary In this class we learnt about The CNS drug – OPIUM
Opium contains many Phenanthrene and Benzyl isoquinoline alkaloids
Opium alkaloids mainly show CNS depressant activity
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21. Quiz 1. Opium contains a) Phenanthrene alkaloids
b) Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids
c) Both
d) None of the above
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22. Quiz 2. Which of the Opium products is Non-narcotic? a) Morphine
b) Codeine
c) Heroin
d) Noscapine
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23. Frequently Asked Questions
1. Write about the Collection and cultivation of opium
2. Write the Botanical Source and Morphological
characters of Opium
3. Mention the Opium alkaloids and their Uses
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