Opium is a dried exudate obtained from incisions made on unripe pods of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum). It contains several alkaloids, including morphine and codeine. Opium poppies are cultivated in parts of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other countries under government control due to its narcotic properties. The poppies are incised to extract a milky latex which dries into raw opium and is collected, processed, and used to isolate alkaloids like morphine for medicinal purposes as a potent analgesic, though it is highly addictive.

1. OPIUM
Poppy latex
Raw opium
Gum opium

2. • Biological source :
• It is dried milky exudation obtained by incision made on unripe
but fully grown capsules of Papaver somniferum
• Family : Papaveraceae
• It contains not less than 10 % of morphine and not less than 2 %
of codeine (USP).
• Geographical source :
• India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, Russia, China and Iran.
• History :
• Opium has been known to mankind since centuries dur to its
narcotic properties.
• It was first cultivated in Mediterranean regions and probably
brought by Alexander in 327 B.C. to India.
• Narcotine was the first alkaloid reported from Opium.
• Morphine was isolated by Segnin in 1804.

3. Cultivation, collection and preparation
• Since it’s potent narcotic drug, the cultivation and other aspects
of opium are governed by respective governments in different
countries, including India.
• All the activities about Opium and its derivatives are controlled
under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.
• In India, about 54 thousand hectares of land is under opium
poppy cultivation.
• It is under government control and restricted to Madhya Pradesh,
Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
• Best climatic conditions for opium poppy cultivation are cool
weather without freezing temperature and sufficient sunshine.

4. • Opium poppy is grown from November to March.
• Propagation is done by planting the seeds.
• It requires highly fertile, well drained loamy soil with fine sand.
• The soil should contain organic matter, nitrogen and should have
pH around 7.
• Distance between two plants maintained is usually 25 cm.
• Plant reaches maximum height of 1 metre.
• Plants are kept totally free from weeds.
• Use of manures and fertilizers to improve quality and yield of
opium poppy.
• Plant bears flowers after 3-4 months, which are converted to
capsules within few days, and attain maturity after 15-20 days.

5. • During maturity period, the capsule exudes maximum latex
which shows a colour change from dark green to light green.
• Such capsules are incised vertically in the afternoon with the
help of specific needle like apparatus called NUSHTUR.
• It penetrates maximum about up to 2 mm.
• Because of incision made latex exudes out and thickens due to
cold weather in night, which is eventually scrapped and collected
next morning by an iron scoop called CHARPALA.
• The incising process is repeated for about 4 times on the same
capsule with 2 days interval.
• The latex is collected in plastic containers.
• Then, capsules are collected and dried in in open areas for seeds.
• Opium collected by this way either stored or processed at
Government opium factory at Ghazipur.

6. Morphology
• Odor: Strong, characteristic.
• Taste: Bitter.
• Color: Varies depending on the type of opium.
• For instance, Indian opium is dark brown while Turkish opium is
chocolate brown in color.

7. Chemical constituents
• Opium contains more than 19 alkaloids, some of which are combined
with meconic acid, others with sulfuric acid and some as free alkaloids
• There are 3 main classes: Phenanthrene. Benzyl isoquinoline. Phenyl
alkyl amine.
• Some of them are -
• Morphine
• Codeine (methyl morphine)
• Papaverine
• Narcotine
• Protopine and hydrocotarnine are the minor alkaloids of opium.
• It also contains sugar, mucilage and salt of calcium, potassium and
magnesium.
• Seeds of opium poppy contains 30-35 % fixed oil, which is
commercially used in oil paint industry.

8. Chemical tests :
• First of all opium is dissolved in water and then ferric chloride
solution is added. It results in reddish purple color. The change in
color occurs due to presence of meconic acids in opium.
• In another test, when opium is treated with small amount of
nitric acid, orange red color is produced. This test occurs due to
the presence of morphine in opium.

9. Uses :
• Opium belongs to category of hypnotic sedative and analgesic,
which is mainly due to morphine.
• Morphine is potent analgesic. Due to its central narcotic effect, it
cause addiction.
• Hence it is given only in severe pain and in those cases, when
patient does not show response to other analgesics.
• Codeine relieves local irritation in the bronchial tract.
• As an antitussive agent it is used in various cough medicines.
• It has mild analgesic activity, which is potent than aspirin, but
only one tenth of morphine.
• Papaverine is smooth muscle relaxant.
• Narcotine has a specific depressant action on cough reflex and
used in preparation of cough medicines.
• Heroin is a synthetic diacetyl derivative of morphine, which has
more narcotic and analgesic activity than morphine.