Narcotics narcotine

A characteristic feature of the action of the opium alkaloids is their simultaneous depressing and exciting action on the central nervous system. In this respect there is no clear line of demarcation between the morphine group—morphine, codeine and thebaine—and the papaverine-narcotine group, and as the series is ascended in the order, morphine, papaverine, codeine, narcotine, thebaine, narcotic action diminishes and power of rellex stimulation increases until in thebaine a strychnine-like effect is exhibited. 

An alkaloid is a complex organic chemical substance found in plants, which characteristically combines nitrogen with other elements, has a bitter taste, and typically has some toxic, stimulant, analgesic effects. There are many different alkaloids, 30 of which are found in the opium plant. While morphine is the most important alkaloid in opium—for its natural narcotic qualities as well as providing the chemical structure for heroin—another alkaloid, codeine, is also sought after for its medicinal attributes. Other alkaloids include papaverine, narcotine, nicotine, atropine, cocaine, and mescaline. While the concentration of morphine in opium varies depending on where and how the plant is cultivated, it typically ranges from 3 percent to 20 percent. 

Papaver somniferum L. Yu Mei Ku (Opium poppy) (whole plant) Berberine, codeine, papaverine, isocorypalmine, laudanine, magnoflorine, meconine, 6-methylocodine, morphine, narcotine, pseudomorphine, rhoeadine, sanguinarine, beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol, thebaine, zanthaline.50 Antitussive, antispasmodic, analgesic, astringent, narcotic, treat chronic enteritis, diarrhea, enterorrhagia, headache, toothache, asthma. 

Morphin is often contaminated with narcotic, which may be entirely removed by ether, or the impure mass may be treated with very dilute acetic add which dissolves the former, leaving the latter untouched. To determine the purity—from nareotin—of any sample of morphin, it may be dissolved in hydrochloric acid, and treated with caustic potassa in excess, in which the morphia will entirely dissolve, while any narcotin present remains untouched. If a very small portion of morphia is placed in a watch-glass with, a little pure sulphuric aoid and au equal quantity of water, and if a particle of bichromate of potassa be added, a nickel green color appears, which changes, first to a copper green, and finally, to a dark dirty green. 

Narcotine, C22H23N07, 2 to 10% —An antiperiodic and a tetanizer, it is wholly devoid of narcotic properties. 

Noscapine (Nectadon ), 2-methyl-8-methoxy-6,7-methylenedioxy-l-(6,7-di-methoxy-3-phtha-lidyl)-l,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline, is also one of the isoquinoline derivatives present in opium. Next to morphine, it is the most abundant of the opium alkaloids, present to the extent of 6% in the seed capsules. This drug was formerly known as narcotine but, because it is neither chemically nor pharmacologically related to the narcotics, is more appropriately designated as noscapine. 

The kinetics and mechanism of hydrolysis of narcotine and of lactonization of narcotic add have been studied/ Another report deals with the instability of bicuculline under physiological conditions/ 8-Ethylnarcotoline hydrochloride had antitussive properties similar to codeine phosphate but the hydrochlorides of narcotoline and 8-benzylnarcotoline were weaker/ ... 

Owing to the ready availability of narcotine its effects on the animal organism have been studied extensively, but the observations have not indicated any extensive use in medicine. It is effective neither as a prophylactic nor as a curative in malaria (240). It has only a mild narcotic action (241, 242, 243), and as an analgesic it is much weaker than morphine (244, 245), although it has been recorded that it potentiates the activity of morphine four- to sevenfold (246). The cramps due to the action of cocaine are also augmented by the simultaneous use of narcotine. It does not lower the basal metabolic rate appreciably (247), nor does it shorten the induction period in nitrous oxide narcosis (248). Its effect on respiration is one of acceleration (249, 250), and its effect on smooth muscle of the intestine (251-254), of the bladder (255), of the gall bladder (251, 252, 256, 257), and of the uterus (251, 252, 258-261) is depressive, while the amplitude of the peristaltic pulses is increased (262-265). 

Two of the principal alkaloids of opium are morphine (4-21%) and a a-narcotine (noscapine) (4-8%) (63). These alkaloids occur partially bound to meconic acid, which is diagnostic for opium. Morphine (58) and its salts are classified as narcotic analgesics. Codeine (62) also occurs in opium, in the concentration range 0.7-2.5%. Most codeine (62) is prepared by methylation of morphine. 

The major alkaloid of this series is narcotine (63). This alkaloid possesses antitussive activity, depresses smoodi muscles, and, in spite of its name, is not a narcotic (Cordell, 1978a). 

Fig. 154). In the quantitative determination, the spots were scraped off the plate [silica gel G (Merck)], eluted with methanol, the eluate made up to 5 ml and the concentration of alkaloid determined from the light absorption (wave lengths used were narcotine 312 nm, morphine 286 nm, thebaine 285 nm, papaverine 279 nm and codeine 215 nm). Steele [230 b] has recently achieved good separations of opiates in narcotic seizures, using silica gel G layers. The i /-values of 26 compounds were evaluated in eight solvents the best solvents were found to be ethyl acetate-benzene-acetonitrile-ammonium hydroxide (50 + 30+ 15 + 5) and acetonitrile-benzene-ethyl acetate-ammonium hydroxide (40 + 30 +25 + 5).. ...

In relation to their chemical structure and action, they can be classified into two categories. The first are phenanthrene alkaloids and are under international control morphine (MO), codeine (COD), and thebaine (TB), which act on the central nervous system and are used as analgesics, narcotics, and potentially addicting compounds (pain relievers). Heroin is synthesized from MO. The second group is isoquinoline alkaloids Papaverine (PV) and narcotine (also known as noscapine). Narcotine acts only to relax involuntary smooth muscles, for which it is considered an antitussive, and lacks addictive, analgesic, respiratory, narcotic, depressant, and sedative properties. Next to MO, which constitute about 10% by weight of raw opium, is the second most abundant alkaloid present in opium. The three last alkaloids (PV, narcotine, and narceine) are not under international control specially, narcotine and narceine which have scarcely any medical or other uses. Consequently, the five economically significant alkaloids of opium are MO, COD, TB, PV, and narcotine. 

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