Here is an in-depth examination of the opium poppy--the first medicinal plant known to mankind. In Opium Poppy: Botany, Chemistry, and Pharmacology, author L. D. Kapoor provides readers with a comprehensive resource on poppy production from seed to alkaloid. He explores the opium poppy?s origin, distribution, chemistry, and uses and abuses from ancient civilizations through the present day. He covers plant and seed production and crop improvement and explores in detail the chemical and pharmaceutical by-products of the opium poppy.

The book begins with a historical overview of the origin and use of opium poppy in ancient civilizations such as Greece, Egypt, and Mesopotamia. Chapters that follow contain detailed information on:

• botanical studies
• cytogenics and plant breeding
• agronomy, including insect and pest control measures
• physiological and anatomical studies
• chemical and pharmacological aspects of opium alkaloids
• biosynthesis and physiology of opium alkaloids
• the occurrence and role of alkaloids in plants
• the evaluation of analgesic actions of morphine in various pain models in experimental animals
  
• Opium Poppy: Botany, Chemistry, and Pharmacology is a useful reference for professionals and students of pharmacy, botany, chemistry, medicine, and pharmacology who need a better overall understanding of this ancient plant and its (potential) modern usage.