50 plants indigenous to the Sudan and of common use in Sudanese folk-medicine, were screened for their molluscicidal activity, using two local snail vectors, BULINUS TRUNCATUS and BIOMPHALARIA PFEIFFERI. At different concentrations 31 (62%) of these plant samples were found to be lethal to either one or both of the snail species. 28 (56%) proved to be lethal to BIOMPHALARIA PFEIFFERI, 22 (44%) gave 100% mortality to BULINUS TRUNCATUS; while 19 (38%) killed both snail hosts (Table I). The seven most active molluscicidal plants were phytochemically screened for their active constituents; four of them showed the presence of saponins.
Phytochemical study of the alkaloids of opium poppy stamens at different stages of their development has been done.Analysis revealed that a general accumulation of alkaloids especially the hydrophenantherene group occurred one day after the flower had opened. This coilltcides with the peak of the pollination period.Apart from the principals opium poppy latex alkaloids (Morphine, Codeine, Thebaine, Papaverine and Narcotine) several Dragendorffs positive compounds were detected and some were isolated; three of them are phenolic and nine are non-phenolic in nature.lntroduction Little information has been reported on the alkaloids o f opium poppy stamens. AKANAWISKI, JURYZSTA, KROCZKAWISAK and WIERZEHOWISKI, (1962), have reported the presence of hydrophenantherene group of opium alkaloids in the reproductive organs. Codeine, thebaine cotornoline, narcotine and papaverine were abundant in the root a t the early stages of development, but a t the blossoming stage accumulation in the root decreased and the reproductive organs contained the major amount of all alkaloids (SARKANY, MICHELS-NUMARKAY and ANDRASFALVY-VICENTY, 1962). MICHALES (1966), has also confirmed that during the flowering stages the reproductive organs accumulate most of the alkaloids. Dragendorff's positive spots were detected by FAIRBAIRN and KAPOO, (1960).This communication deals with the alkaloidal contents of the stamens and their variation throughout the stages of the stamens development.
Materials and MethodsStamens samples were collected from opium poppy plants cultivated at the experimental garden of Myddelton House, Enfield, London. The samples were collected by cutting the stamens by hand, after noting their fresh weight they were ground in a Waring blender with 80% methanol.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.