European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

EXTRACTION, ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ANTI-CANCER ALKALOID FROM PAPAVER SOMNIFERUM (MORPHINE)

Vandna Dewangan*, Saraswati Sahu, Ram Sahu and Trilochan Satapathy

ABSTRACT

Noscapine, a phthalideisoquinoline alkaloid derived from opium poppy, has been used in the treatment of various cancer types. Its low-toxicity profile has increased attention to this alkaloid. With regard to increasing demand for this compound, we developed a new method for isolation of noscapine from dried unripe seed capsules of Papaver somniferum. The poppy straw is an alternative source which is chemically used to extract the alkaloids. Noscapine was successfully isolated from unripe seed capsules for the first time and the purity of the isolated compound was determined to be over 98.99% by HPLC analysis. The proposed roles of alkaloids in plant metabolism, plant catabolism, or plant physiology are end products of metabolism or waste products, storage reservoirs of nitrogen, protective agents for the plant against attack by predators and growth regulators. Isolation of noscapine from opium was studied in literature. Sim showed the separation of alkaloids from opium in a step-wise process and produced noscapine as the last product.

Keywords: Alkaloid, Opium Poppy, Anti-Cancer, Bioactive Compounds, Chronic Cancer pain, Are-anesthetic Medication, Analgesic, Morphine, Nitrogenous Compounds.