Opium

OpiumFamily :Papaveraceae

Vernacular names: Afim, Post

Biological Source: Opium consists of dried latex obtained by incision of unripe capsules of Papaver sominferumGeographical source: Native to West Asia,Pakistan,Afghanistan, Iran, Burma, Thailand, Yugoslavia.

• History

Codeine

Heroine/Diacetylmorphine

Thebaine

Cultivation and collection

• Cultivation, manufacturing and possession is illegal without license in most of the countries

• Seeds are sown in autumn or early spring• Ist harvest in May or June• 5-8 capsules in each plant• When fruit (capsule) changes its color from green to

yellow • Fruit is cut vertically or horizontally between mid-day to

evening and latex is collected next day.

Cultivation and collection:Fresh latex Latex dried on next

day

opium

Morphology of crude drug

• Opium consists of rounded or somewhat flat mass.

• Color is pale yellow to reddish or chocolate brown

• Plastic like when fresh but hard and brittle with passage of time

• Bitter taste

• Smoked, eaten or injected• Available as powder or dark brown solid• Initially used as drug and was either taken with

beverages or swallowed as solid• Opium smoking was Introduced into china 17th

century from where introduced into Europe and North America.

• In 1805 a German Pharmacist Friedrich W.Serturner isolated and identified morphine from Morpheus (god of dreams) followed by isolation of codeine (1832) and papaverine (1848)

• Constituents • Morphine, codeine and thebaine contain

phenanthrene nucleus (strongly basic and highly toxic)

• Nascopine, Narceine (narcotic) and papaverine (used in the treatment of vasospasm) slightly basic in nature and less toxic compounds.

Ratio of morphine

• Varies depending upon environmental conditions and varieties

• Yugoslavian opium (15-17%)• Turkish opium (10-16%)• Indian opium (9-12%)

Morphine

• Analgesic in conditions of severe pain including muscle pain, cancer related pain, severe back pain

• Side effects: Addiction, nervousness, relaxation, drowsiness, or sleepiness

•

• Constipation through inhibition of gastric juices, increased absorption of intestinal fluid thus reducing the intestinal movement or peristalsis

Codeine

• Analgesic • Antitussive (less sedative)• Antidiarrhoeal• Orally administered analgesic, safety

margin highest

Heroine

• A substitute for morphine by acetylation of morphine is 3,6-diacetylmorphine or diamorphine

• More addictive than morphine• Analgesic• Anxiolytic (anti-anxiety)

Uses of opium• Opium causes depressent action on CNS• Sedative, analgesic, hypnotic • and antispasmodic• Codeine is less sedative mostly used in cough

preparations• Papaverine has smooth muscle relaxant action and is

used as antispasmodic.• Nascopine is non narcotic and is used anti-tussive.• Alcoholic tincture (opium) is used in treatment of

diarrhea•