OPIUM ,CINCHONA, RAUWOLFIA

  OPIUM

Biological source: Opium is the dried latex obtained from the mature but unripe capsules of Opium poppy, Papaver somniferum Linn.

Family : Papaveraceae.

 

Geographical source: The official geographical sources of the drug are Turkey, Russia, Yugoslavia and India, where the plant is cultivated under strict Government control. The drug is also produced in China, Iran and some South-Eastern Asian countries.

Chemical constituents: Opium contains principally about 25

Isoquinoline alkaloids, the most important of which is morphine,

the yield of which varies from 6 to 24 per cent. Other alkaloids of  Opium include narcotine (4 to 8 per cent), codeine (0.8 to 2.5 per

cent), papaverine (0.5 to 2.5 per cent), thebaine (0.5 to 2.0 per cent) and many others. It also contains meconic acid (3.0 to 5.0 per cent), meconin, resin and gum.

 

 

              Morphine

 

Uses: Opium is a narcotic drug, which is chiefly used as a strong analgesic agent to relieve pain. It is also used as a hypnotic drug and as a diaphoretic.

 

 

CINCHONA

 

Synonyms: Cinchona Bark, Peruvian Bark, Cinchonae Cortex

Botanical source: Cinchona consists of the dried bark of various species, races and hybrids of Cinchona, particularly of Cinchona succirubra Pavon (Red Cinchona), Cinchona calisaya Weddell (Yellow Cinchona), Cinchona ledgeriana Moens, and Cinchona officinalis Linn. Cinchona species are large trees.

 

Family:  Rubiaceae.

 

Geographical source: Cinchona is indigenous to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia and cultivated commercially in Java (Indonesia) and India.

 

Constituents: Cinchona bark contains four important quinoline alkaloids, which are quinine, quinidine, cinchonine and cinchonidine. It also contains quinic acid, cinchotannic acid, cinchona red and many minor alkaloids.

        Quinine

 

Uses: Cinchona possesses febrifuge properties and has been used in the treatment of malaria fever.

 

 

RAUWOLFIA

Synonyms: Rauwolfia Serpentina, Rauwolfia Root, Indian Snake root, Sarpagondha, Chhotachand

 

Botanical source: Rauwolfia consists of the dried roots of Rauvolfia serpentina Benth.

 

Family: Apocynaceae.

 

Geographical source: The Plant is indigenous to Bangladesh, India, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

 

                Reserpine

 

Chemical constituents: Rauwolfia contains 1.2 to 1.4 percent of total indole alkaloids, the most important of which are reserpine, deserpidine and rescinnamine. Its other constituents include resinous matter, fatty acids, unsaturated alcohols, dextrose and sucrose.

 

Uses: Rauwolfia is used in reducing high blood pressure and as a sedative in the treatment of insomnia, anxiety, insanity and certain other neuropsychiatric disorders.