Sources of the Drug 151 



Drug production can be increased by the application of fertilizer. 

 Increases in colchicine per corm were made when PoO-, was added.^*' 

 The methods for adding the fertilizer to soil and details of these 

 tests have not been rcj^eated or confirmed. These data are correlated 

 with a variability in jjroduction of colchicine found for different 

 localities. 



Variation in production of colchicine appeared to be a function 

 of size of seed (Fig. 5.2) . The number of seeds per gram varied from 

 183 to 406. As the number of seeds increased, there was an increase 

 in the percentage of colchicine per 100 grams of raw material. The 

 size of seed is a response to en^•ironmental condition, and in turn the 

 production of colchicine is changed by the seed form. Standards set 

 for content of colchicine must account for variation in raw samples 

 of Colchicuiu. Not enough attention has been paid to the relation 

 between en\ironmental conditions and production of colchicine. ""^^ 



Colchicum hiteum is collected from natural sites exclusively. The 

 corms, rather than the seeds, serve as a sovirce of colchicine. There 

 are large areas of the northwestern Himalayas, notably in the grass- 

 lands, where the plants are abundant. Their locations are at levels 

 from 4000 to 7000 ft. AV^hile the total content of colchicine is not as 

 high for C. Juteum as the officially recognized species, enough can be 

 gathered to make this a valuable drug plant. 



The dried whole corms are collected from March to May. By 

 this time the fruits have matmed and leaves have dried down. The 

 corms are dug and prepared for market according to practices estab- 

 lished by collectors who have been working at this trade for many 

 years. 



Altitude influences the production of colchicine in the seed more 

 than in the corm, according to a study made in the European Alps 

 for C. aututnnale. Collections were made beginning at 50 m. and 

 continuing in locations up to 2200 m. The content of colchicine in 

 the seed sample was found to diminish with increasing altitude. The 

 difi^erences were not so great for the corm.'^ 



5.5: The Crude Drug 



Dried corms and seeds of ColcJiicion are official in standard 

 pharmacopeias. ^1 Since 1946, C. luteum has been accepted in the 

 Indian standards. Dried corms are bitter and have a disagreeable 

 odor. There are two drugs in the Himalayan collections known as 

 the bitter and the sweet surinjan; the former is C. luteum. 



Collections are made and corms sliced 2 to 5 mm. thick after 

 drying. Each piece should be about 3 cm. wide. A black layer along 

 the side becomes prominent. In transverse section the ground tissues 



