Extraction and Identification of the Alkaloids in Papaveraceae Endemic Plant Resources in Iran

Papaver somniferum L. belonging to the Papaveraceae family, grows naturally in Iran with anti-cancer and anti-HIV properties because of isoquinoline alkaloids such as morphine, papaverine, thebaine and noscapine. The aim of this study was to quality the amounts of the mentioned isoquinoline alkaloids in the samples collected from Iran[1].Therefore, three regions were selected including Zanjan, Tarom, and Ab-Ali, and quality measurements of alkaloids. Opium alkaloids of two species of Papaveraceae in addition to four species of Glaucium Mill were chemically studied using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis. Four opium alkaloids, morphine, thebaine, papaverine and noscapine were significantly detected and veriably distributed in the species.