COLCHICUM
pharmacognasy


SYNONYMS:
meadow saffron seeds, autumn crocus.

BIOLOGICAL SOURCE:
it consist of the dried ripe seeds of colchicum luteum baker and colchicum autumnale linn belonging to family liliaceae. colchicum corm is also used medicinally.

CULTIVATION AND COLLECTION:
in nature, colchicum propagates by repeating the life cycle wit the corm which is present  as a swollen underground stem with sheathing leaves. towords the end of summer, the fully grown corm developes doughter corms in the axil of scaly leafe near the base. these daughter corms developes parasitically on parent corm and subsequently, the parent corm withers away. after this, the daughter corms develop into new plants.
in jammu and kashmir and diff parts of europe and africa, the drug is obtained by propagation with seeds. the propagation done by sowing the seeds in boxes at an altitude of 1000-3000 m. the seedlings are transplanted in open field at a distance of 1 m. the plants bear the capsules fruits after one year of vegetative growth. the fruits are collected before dehiscence and dark seeds are separated, processed and graded. the corms are isolated and the adhering scales and coats are removed. the corms are sliced transversly and dried below 65 degree c

CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS:
colchicum seeds contain 0.2-1% of amino alkoloids of which colchicine is the main constituent. the seeds contain up to 0.8 per cent of colchicine and in corms, it is up to 0.6%. colchicum also contains demecolcine. both the alkoloids contain tropolone or cycloheptatrien-ol-one ring structure
colchicine is obtained as pale yellow crystals, amorphous or in powder form. it has bitter taste and is odourless. it darkens on exposure to air. colchicine freely soluble in alcohol and chloroform, soluble in 25 parts of water and in 220 parts of solvent ether.

USES:
COLCHIcum is a specific drug for treatment of gout and rheumatism. colchicine also processes anti tumour activity...
apart from medicinal use, colchicine is widely accepted and practised as a chemical agent for bringing the polyploidy and hence used in horticulture and cultivation of medicinal plants.....




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