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Morphine: C17 H19
NO3
Morphine is a phenolic compound with a penta-cyclic structure.
It is a Morphinane alkaloid which is a subset of the Isoquinoline alkaloids.
Good quality Opium contains between 10% and 15% morphine,
which is the most prevalent alkaloid in opium.
Morphine is a strong narcotic and euphoric that creates
dependency in a large percentage of people but it can also cause nausea and
anxiety disorders. It is a very strong respiratory depressant and has
historically been used in cough medicines for that reason. As laudanum (a
tincture containing about 10% opium 90% alcohol of which the main active
ingredient was morphine) it was sold until quite recently as an analgesic that
was widely used for most pains but in particular for menstrual pain. Since a
very large number of people became dependent on Laudanum, it and all other opium
based over-the-counter remedies were taken off the market.
Today Morphine is a prescription only drug in virtually all
countries. Its use is limited to terminal illness or short term first aid or
emergencies only as it is too habit forming to prescribe for prolonged use.
Several derivatives have been synthesized to eliminate the habit forming aspects
of morphine with some, limited, success.
Overdose of morphine is fatal as it causes respiratory
failure. Other effects are pupil shrinking, constipation.
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Isoquinoline Alkaloids: A large class of medically active
alkaloids with very varied properties although this group does contain many
constituents from which the most habit forming drugs are made. Precursors of
isoquinoline alkaloids are tyrosine and phenylalanine.
Properties of these alkaloids range widely from
Anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antitumor, antimicrobial and antiviral to
analgesic, narcotic and antitussive, plus virtually everything in-between.
Because of this very wide scope each of the alkaloids should be regarded as
individual and no general properties can be attributed to the group known as
isoquinoline alkaloids.
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Alkaloids Typical alkaloids are alkaline organic vegetable
substances containing one or more nitrogen atoms. This nitrogen base is capable
of combining with acids to form crystalline salts. Most alkaloids are derived
from amino acids while a few are derived from isoprene units. Alkaloids are white or colourless solids containing oxygen (oxygen
free alkaloids are few and far between and then can only exist as liquids) Most
alkaloids are not water soluble, extraction is normally by tincture.
Alkaloids are found in about one quarter of all flowering plants. Thousands of
alkaloids have been identified from a large number of plants where the alkaloid
can be present in virtually every part of the plant or just a specific part like
rhizome, leaf or seed.
Alkaloids
generally have profound physiological impact on the human body and nervous
system effects are predominant.
Many alkaloids are used as extracted and refined compounds derived from the
actual plants or synthesised compounds in pharmaceutical drugs.
Several Alkaloids are banned in many countries because of the extreme impact
on the nervous system (strychnine for instance is a deadly poison in very small
doses) and the habit forming nature of some of the alkaloid compounds. |
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