Noscapine Hydrochloride

**Semantic type:** Organic Chemical|Pharmacologic Substance

**Definition:** The orally available hydrochloride salt of the opioid agonist noscapine, a phthalideisoquinoline alkaloid derived from the opium poppy Papaver somniferum, with mild analgesic, antitussive, and potential antineoplastic activities. Noscapine binds to tubulin and alters its conformation, resulting in a disruption of the dynamics of microtubule assembly (by increasing the time that microtubules spend idle in a paused state) and subsequently, the inhibition of mitosis and tumor cell death. Unlike other tubulin inhibitors such as the taxanes and vinca alkaloids, noscapine does not affect microtubule polymerization.

**Synonyms:** - 1(3H)Isobenzofuranone,6,7-dimethoxy-3-(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-4-methoxy-6-methyl-1,3,-dioxolo(4,5-g)isoquinolin-5-yl)-hydrochloride - NOSCAPINE HYDROCHLORIDE - Narcotine hydrochloride - Noscapine HCl