Opium alkaloids.

1. BY:AAKEFA KHAN
M.Sc. II YEAR
GUIDED BY: DR. SHRIHARI SANAP
OPIUM
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
INSTITUTE OF FORENSIC SCIENCE
NAGPUR

2. • The word opium is derived from the Greek
word “opos” means juice. Opium is an narcotic
drug that is obtained from the unripe seedpods
of the Opium Poppy plant(Papaver somniferum).
• Opium is obtained by slightly incising the seed
capsules of the poppy after the plant’s flower
petals have fallen. The slit seedpods exude a
milky latex that coagulates and changes colour,
turning into a gum like brown mass upon
exposure to air.
• Raw opium may be ground into a powder, sold
as lumps, cakes, or bricks, or treated further to
obtain such derivatives as morphine, codeine,
and heroin.

3. Opium is refined to yield about
20 alkaloids. Among these,
majority are narcotics like
morphine, codeine and thebaine
which are depressants of
Central nervous system. The
rest are smooth muscle relaxants
like papaverine, narcotine.
These are not addictive
substances.

4. Natural opiates:
 Morphine
 Codeine
Semi-synthetic opioids:
 Heroin
Synthetic opioids:
 Methadone

5. Medicinal use
* Symptomatic relief of moderately
severe to severe pain;
* Pain due to myocardial infarction
or labor pains;
* Suppression of severe diarrhea
Effects of abuse
* It is highly addictive.
* Causes slow breathing, lowered
heart rate, constipation, euphoria
and itchiness.
* Too much morphine can result in
unconsciousness, cardiac arrest,
suffocation due to lack of
breathing and coma, even death.

6. Medical Uses
* Symptomatic relief of mild to
moderate pain;
* Relief of certain types of difficult
or labored breathing;
* Suppression of severe cough
* Suppression of severe diarrhea.
Effects of abuse
* Cause nausea, vomiting and
drowsiness.
* Codeine also has an itchy, sedating
effect.
* Mental effects could include
confusion, irritation, or agitation.
* If dosage are more intense, there
could be hallucinations or even
convulsions.

7. Medical Uses
* In UK’ it is rarely used to treat
severe pain such as in severe
physical trauma, heart attack, and
chronic pain, stemming from end-
stage cancer and other terminal
illnesses.
Effects of abuse
* The effect of heroin is felt within
one mint after the injection. The
intense euphoria last for several
minutes followed by a period of
sedation.
* Cause sensation of warmth and
intense pleasure.

8. Medical Uses
* Treatment of opioid
dependence/addiction.
* Relief of moderate to severe pain.
* Occasionally used as treatment for
violent cough.
Effect of abuse
* Effects of methadone abuse are
addiction, overdose and death.
* Methadone with other drugs that
suppress respiration such as
alcohol can also be dangerous or
fatal.

9. Jaipur, Tue Nov 06 2007
The Jodhpur NDPS court ordered the Rajasthan Police to file a case against
former Union minister Jaswant Singh for allegedly serving an opium-laced
brew to guests at a lunch hosted by him at his ancestral home in Barmer
district on October 31. Along with Singh, a senior BJP leader and former
External Affairs and Finance Minister, nine other BJP leaders face charges
under the stringent Anti-Narcotics Act. The action was taken by the court
following a complaint filed under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic
Substances Act (NDPS) on November 2 in which Singh and the others were
named. The court has asked the police to submit report after completing the
investigation in the case. "Only an investigation has been logged, they have
not been found guilty.