Opium Poppy - The Herb

General description and domicile:
So much has been written about the Opium Poppy that it is hardly necessary to add my bit to it.

The poppy is an annual herbaceous plant that is native to Asia but is cultivated all over the world. In the wild it has pale lilac flowers but it is now cultivated with a great variety of flower colors from white to deep reds and purples.

The plant flowers in the middle of summer and it takes about six weeks for the capsule or fruit (that contains the seeds) to fully form. This is commonly known as the poppy head.

All of the plant contains a latex but most of the latex is in the unripe poppy head just before it matures. The poppy head is scored to bleed the latex which is harvested. This process is repeated several times with intervals of about two to three days.

The latex is called Opium which contains the alkaloid morphine along with close to 30 other alkaloids.

Opium is poisonous in large doses causing paralysis of the central nervous system and death follows due to heart and respiratory failure due to paralysis.

Interestingly the seeds do not contain any of the alkaloids and are harvested for the fixed oil which is used in the culinary industry.
 

Part used and extraction:
Latex from the poppy head.
 

History:
The use of this herb goes back to ancient Chinese times where there are many recordings of its medicinal powers but already also records of social problems because of its use as a recreational/habit forming drug.

It was well known as an analgesic in Ancient Greece and Rome. Although Opium is one of the most valuable drugs for mankind to come out of the plant kingdom it did dot do so without pain. Wars were fought over this compound, the social problems that we are still suffering today associated with heroin and opium addiction have been horrendous but the benefit of morphine and codeine, both extracted from opium. 
 

Used for treatment of:

Pain relief

Anxiety

Stress

Nerve tonic

Diarrhea

Properties:
Narcotic
Analgesic
Anti-spasmodic
Antitussive
Diaphoretic
Anti-diarrheal
Respiratory depressant
Euphoric

Constituents:

Opium contains more than thirty five alkaloids which is by far the most significant of the constituents as it is these that provide the medicinal and other noted properties of the habit forming "drug" opium. Good quality opium can contain as much as 20% by weight of these alkaloids.
Opium also contains other constituents like mucilage, wax, sugars and salts that, although present, do not contribute or inhibit any of the narcotic effects of the substance.
Meconic acid, which is present in combination with the alkaloids is significant in that it is used to identify opium mostly in a forensic sense as it is easier to detect than the alkaloids.
The total alkaloidal extreact (containing all the alkaloids present in opium) is known as papaveretum and often erroneously referred to as a constituent (while in fact is is a combination of many alkaloids with very different properties)

Below are the major alkaloids of opuim (accounts for 99% in weight)

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.

Codeine: C₁₈H₂₁NO₃

Codeine is a Isoquinoline alkaloid

Codeine is metabolized in the body to morphine but is far less habit forming than morphine and only a very small portion of the codeine is converted. Codeine is an effective analgesic but only in small doses. If the dosage is increased it increases the side effects without any significant increase in the therapeutic effect of the drug.
Codeine is antitussive, analgesic and narcotic.
Side effects of codeine can be nausea, constipation, drowsiness and urinary retention. Overdose can cause respiratory failure and death.

Narcotine: C₂₂H₂₃NO₇

An isoquinoline alkaloid

Narcotine also called Noscapine relaxes involuntary smooth muscles. Other properties are antitussive, which is something that reduces the cough reflex and very mildly analgesic (pain killing) to the extent that it is never used for its analgesic properties. Narcotine is non-adictive and has no narcotic effect. Narcotine is the second most abundant Alkaloid present in opium.

Papaverine: C₂₀H₂₁NO₄

Papaverine is a isoquinoline alkaloid present in opium.

Papaverine is used in conventional medicine to treat gastrointestinal cramps and as a smooth muscle relaxant. Side effects are constipation, drowsiness and vertigo.

Thebaine: also called paramorphine C₁₉H₂₁NO₃

Thebaine is a isoquinoline alkaloid that has no direct therapeutic use although it is used to synthesize other opiate based compounds like codeine.