GB406107A - Improved process for obtaining opium alkaloids, more particularly from poppy-plants - Google Patents

Abstract

Opium alkaloids are extracted from ripe dry plant-portions (particularly poppies) by treatment with agents which dissolve the alkaloids. Suitable solvents are aqueous acids such as hydrochloric, sulphuric or sulphurous acid or acid salts such as sodium bisulphite, the concentration of the extracting agent being preferably 1.5--2 per cent. In an example chopped dry poppy-straw is treated in a series of 8 containers with 1.5--2 per cent sulphurous acid solution in counter-current. To the extract from the last container which is first evaporated in vacuum to one-fifth of its volume, is added a base such as calcium hydroxide to reduce the acidity to 0.1 to 0.02 per cent and an equal volume of alcohol and the precipitated substances are removed. The solution is then again evaporated in a vacuum to a fifth of its volume, an equal volume of alcohol is added and enough soda lye to dissolve all the morphine. Other alkaloids such as narcotine, codeine and narceine precipitate with the impurities and are filtered off. The filtrate is acidified, evaporated in a vacuum to a third of its volume and made weakly ammoniacal to precipitate the morphine, which is purified in known manner, for instance, by crystallization from water. The other alkaloids obtained may be separated by means of solvents such as benzene.