Advisory Services

Poppy Seeds

 

BOTANICAL NAME:

  • Papaver somniferum

FAMILY:

  • Papaveraceae

SYNONYM(S):

  • Nill

URDU NAME:

  • Khashkhas safaid

REGIONAL NAME:

  • Bengali: Post Dana
  • Persian: Tukham-e- Kokner
  • Hindi: Khashkhas
  • Sanskrit: Khasa
  • Arabic: Qishrul-Khaskhas
  • Punjabi: Khashkhash

UNANI/TIBBI NAME:

  • Khashkhash

ENGLISH NAME:

  • Poppy seeds

HABITAT:

  • Widely planted in gardens, as an Ornamental plant, Cultivated in the NWFP

DESCRIPTION:

  • Scarcely branched, erect annual herb
  • Leaves oblong, irregularly toothed.
  • Flowers large white.
  • Capsule large, globular, glabrous, many seeded

PART USED:

  • Seeds

TASTE:

  • Sweetish

TEMPERAMENT:

  • Cold 2°, moist 1°

PERIOD OF OCCURRENCE:

  • Flowers from March to April

PROCEDURE & TIME OF COLLECTION:

  • When ripe and dry the capsule are picked, crushed and the seeds are collected

CONSTITUENTS:

  • Fixed oil
  • Lecithin
  • Morphine
  • Papaverine
  • Calcium
  • Phosphorous
  • Iodine
  • Zinc
  • Copper
  • Manganese
  • Magnesium
  • Iron
  • Thiamine

SUBSTITUTES:

  • Tukhm Kahu/lettuce seeds ( Lactusa sativa)

ACTIONS AND USES IN UNANI SYSTEM OF MEDICINE:

Pharmacological action:

  • Mild astringent
  • Diuretic
  • Cooling
  • Tranquillizer
  • Demulscent
  • Nutritive

Therapeutic uses:

  • Used as syrups in cough and asthma
  • Helps to strengthened the body
  • Enrich the blood
  • Anti dysentery
  • Induce sleep
  • Rain tonic

DOSES:

  • 1-3 g

CORRECTIVES:

  • Sugar and honey

 

IMPORTANT UNANI FORMULATIONS:

  • Sharbat khashkhash
  • Itnifal kabir
  • Roghan khashkhash
  • Safuf shashtarah

ASTROLOGY:

  • Mars and Saturn