Collection and preparation of Crude Drugs for the market Opium PH103.77

DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION ANDHRA PRADESH Name of the Staff : M. Padmavathi Designation : Assoc. Lecturer Branch : D.Pharmacy Institute : K.N.P.W. Year : D. Pharmacy I year Subject : Pharmacognosy Subject Code : PH-103 Topic : Collection and preparation of Crude Drugs for the market Duration : 50 Minutes Sub Topic : Collection & preparation for the market of Opium Teaching Aids : PPT, Animations, Photographs PH103.77

OBJECTIVES On completion of this period, you would be able to know The Biological Source Active constituents Uses and Various methods of Cultivation, Collection and preparation of Opium for the market PH103.77

Known to unknown Incision showing Milk exuding Unripe Opium Capsule Fig.77.1 PH103.77

BIOLOGICAL SOURCE Opium is the dried latex obtained by incisions from the unripe capsules of Papaver somniferum Family : Papaveraceae. PH103.77

Cultivation of Opium Cultivation of Opium are governed by respective Governments. In India all activities about Opium are controlled under Narcotic Drugs Act 1985 Fig.77.2 PH103.77

Opium Field Fig.77.3 PH103.77

Unripe Opium Capsule Fig.77.4 PH103.77

Cultivation of Opium The staff of the Opium Department measure the fields, using a tape, shown here.  Note that the peasant is standing in the row between two fields.  The fields are check-measured with staff drawn from other states and districts.  Those peasants growing more than the allowable are struck off the Opium rolls for future production, and the excess Poppy is pulled up and destroyed.  PH103.77

Cultivation of Opium Fig.77.5 PH103.77

Cultivation of Opium The blooming field of poppies is in the center-right, with alfalfa in lower right a grain crop is behind the woman, abutting the poppy field, while sugar cane is growing behind. PH103.77

Fig.77.6 Most poppies have a white bloom, but one red appeared in the field. A  close-up of this blossom and field appears later. PH103.77

Cultivation of Opium After the petals fall from the poppy, the pod, which is about the size of a golf ball, is lanced, and the opium latex is exuded.  What you see here is one lancing, made with a special knife which has four blades about 1/16th inch apart, clearly visible in the photo.  Initially the latex is pink; later it changes to black Fig.77.7 PH103.77

Poppies are lanced  in the afternoon and the latex is scraped off the next morning.  Peasants hope for calm, dry days during lancing season.  Rain  washes the latex off the pod, while friction of pods in the wind  rubs the  latex off .  Pods ripen (soften) at different times in the field.  Each pod can be lanced from 4 to 7 times.  The lancing takes a great deal of time and attention. On the left, a woman scrapes the pod;  the close-up on the right shows the wide, curved blade with a rim of pink opium.  Several pods can be scraped before the opium is placed into a container.  Fig.77.8 PH103.77

Harvesting of Opium Fig.77.9 PH103.77

Preparation of Opium So many pods to cut and scrape! On the right, the opium collected is weighed on a daily basis before an officer of the Narcotics Dept.  After the latex has been collected, all the peasants from an area take their opium to a weighment center.  On the left, courtesy of the Central Bureau of Narcotics, are the peasants waiting their turn for weighment;  their opium has been scraped into standard containers of known weight.  One-tenth of a hectare produces small amounts of latex. PH103.77

CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS Opium contains about 25 alkaloids which are largely combined with Meconic acid. The alkaloids of Opium are divided into two classes Pharmacologically i.e. Narcotic and Non-narcotic alkaloids and chemically as Phenanthrene derivatives and Benzyl Isoquinoline derivatives. PH103.77

CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS The important active constituent of Opium is an alkaloid Morphine which constitutes 8 to 17% of drug. The other alkaloids of Opium are Codeine (2.5 to 3.5%) Noscopine or Norcotine (5.5 to7.5%), Thebaine (1 to 2%) and Papaverine 1%. Indian variety contains maximum Codeine content as compared to several varieties of Opium. PH103.77

USES The active constituent of Opium responsible for its action is Morphine. Opium is an Narcotic Analgesic, Hypnotic It acts mainly on sensory nerve cells of Cerebrum. It checks excessive peristalsis and contracts the pupil of eye. Codeine (methyl morphine) is an Expectorant. The syrup of Codeine phosphate is used in cough and Bronchitis. PH103.77

SUMMARY In this class we learnt about Opium is the dried latex obtained by incisions from the Unripe capsules of Papaver somniferum. Family Papaveraceae. Its cultivation which contains active constituents the morphine, used as analgeric, Hypnotic and Narcotic etc., PH103.77

QUIZ Opium contains the principle Alkaloid a) Morphine b) Ephedrine c) Codeine d) Nascopine PH103.77

QUIZ One of the following is an Antitussive a) Codeine b) Reserpine c) Ephedrine d) Amphetamine PH103.77

Frequently Asked Questions What are the other names of Opium? Write the Biological source of Opium. What are the uses of Opium? How the harvesting of Opium done? Write down the preparation for the market of Opium. What are the active constituents of Opium? PH103.77

THANK YOU PH103.77