Database on medicinal plants used in ayurveda - AYUSH Research ...

and caffeine are effective but produce no more analgesia than a combination
of aspirin and codeine (http://www.medscape.com/).
TRADE AND COMMERCE
India has been producing opium for many centuries and at present it is the
largest source of raw opium to the world. Turkey, Russia are the next main
opium producing countries. The trade and the prices of opium and other
allied products are entirely controlled by Govt. of India. The selling price is
fixed by the Govt. authority taking in to account the cost of production, the
demand for opium in international market and the price offered by other
opium producing countries. Opium is exported for scientific and medicinal
purposes chiefly to U.K., U.S.A., France, Italy (Anonymous, 2005).
Retail Market Price- Poppy seed- Rs. 200/- per Kg; Morphine (BHC)-
Rs.5750/- per Kg (Anonymous, 2005).
FORMULATIONS AND PREPARATIONS
Asava And Arista – Ahiphenasava.
Vati And Gutika – Astakshari gutika, Dugdhavati, Akarkarabhadi vati,
Grahani sharduta vatika, Nidrodaya vati.
Bhasma – Trivanga Bhasma.
Rasayoga – Nidrodaya rasa, Swalpa Grahani Kapat rasa, Karpur rasa,
Mahavatarog rasa (Anonymous, 1978; 2000).
SUBSTITUTES AND ADULTERANTS
Opium is adulterated with fresh green parts of the plants, ashes, seeds such as
linseed, poppy seeds, leguminous seeds, tubers, roots, extracts of poppy,
dhatura, hemp, Lactuca virosa Linn, Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn ,Glaucium
flavum Crantz., gum arabic, tragacanth, salep, aloes, small stones, flowers of
Madhuca longifolia Linn, Saccharine matter, vegetable oils, ghee, minute
pieces of lead and iron (Anonymous, 1966).
The inspissated Juice of Euphorbia royleana Boiss and the plant juice of
Hypecoum proumbens Linn. used as adulterant. Dried latex of Lactuca indica
Linn. used as substitute; juice of flowers of Madhuca longifolia (Koenig.)
Macbride var latifolia, as an adulterant, decoction of Scoparia dulcis Linn. as
substitute or adulterant; extract of leaves and fruits of Sophora japonica Linn.
used as an adulterant; seeds of Sterculia alata Royle used as substitute.
Leaves and bark of Mitragyna speciosa Korth.; roots of Saussurea lappa
Clarke are chewed as substitute of opium (Garg, 1992).
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