Apomorphine

Chemistry
- CID: 6005 · PubChem
- Formula: C17H17NO2
- Molecular weight: 267.32 g/mol
- IUPAC: (6aR)-6-methyl-5,6,6a,7-tetrahydro-4H-dibenzo[de,g]quinoline-10,11-diol
- CAS: 58-00-4
Family & pharmacology
Family: Aporphine alkaloid (semi-synthetic derivative of morphine)
Pharmacological class: Non-selective dopamine receptor agonist (D1/D2 family); structurally part of the aporphine class, though apomorphine itself is produced by acid-catalysed rearrangement of morphine rather than isolated from plants
Natural source: Apomorphine is not found in meaningful quantities in nature; it is synthesised from morphine (derived from Papaver somniferum). It is often mentioned in discussions of Nymphaea caerulea (blue lotus) because the plant contains related aporphine-type alkaloids such as nuciferine, and because secondary literature (e.g. Ancient Origins) has proposed apomorphine-like activity as part of the flower's historical psychoactive reputation. This attribution remains debated in the botanical literature.
Historical context
Apomorphine as a molecule belongs to the 19th- and 20th-century history of pharmacology: first prepared in 1845 by Arppe and developed further by Matthiessen and Wright in the 1860s through acid treatment of morphine. Its cultural footprint, however, is often discussed alongside the far older ritual use of Nymphaea caerulea in ancient Egypt, where aporphine-class alkaloids are thought to contribute to the flower's reported effects.
Traditional use
- Referenced in the context of Nymphaea caerulea ritual use documented on tomb frescoes such as the Tomb of Nebamun (Dynasty XVIII, Thebes) and the gold-plated shrine of Tutankhamun, where the pharaoh is shown holding a giant Nymphaea alongside two mandragoras (Ancient Origins; Bertol et al. 2004)
- The Ebers Papyrus (c. 1500 BC) and the Egyptian Book of the Dead describe blue lotus in medicinal and magico-religious contexts — as aphrodisiac, for pain, for insomnia and for settling the stomach — traditional attributions, not modern medical claims
- 19th-century European medicine used apomorphine itself as a powerful emetic and later in aversion therapy for alcohol dependence — part of the compound's own history, separate from the Egyptian plant context
Modern re-emergence
Apomorphine re-emerged in late 20th-century neurology as a licensed treatment for advanced Parkinson's disease (motor fluctuations), and in the early 2000s was marketed under names such as Ixense and Uprima for erectile dysfunction (Ancient Origins; clinical literature). Academic interest in Nymphaea caerulea's aporphine alkaloids — distinct from apomorphine proper — continues in ethnopharmacology (Bertol et al. 2004; Haddad 2021).
Safety
Apomorphine is a prescription-only medicine in Germany and the EU. It is associated with significant side effects including nausea and vomiting (often requiring antiemetic co-administration), orthostatic hypotension, somnolence, QT-interval effects and, in Parkinson's use, impulse-control disorders. It is not a recreational or smartshop substance and should only be used under medical supervision. Information here is educational only.
amama POV
Sourcing: amama does not sell apomorphine. It is a prescription pharmaceutical regulated under the German Arzneimittelgesetz and is not part of our ethnobotanical or research-chemical range. We include this profile only as educational context, because customers reading about Nymphaea caerulea often encounter apomorphine in secondary sources.
Quality measures
- Not stocked — no sourcing, no batch, no CoA: apomorphine is a pharmacy-dispensed medicine and outside amama's scope
- For the related plant Nymphaea caerulea that amama does sell, every batch is lab-tested for pesticides, heavy metals and microbiology
- Blue lotus is sourced from established partner farms in Egypt and Thailand with full batch traceability
- CoAs available on request for all botanical products we carry
- We deliberately separate pharmaceutical compounds like apomorphine from the botanicals we offer, and we flag this distinction to customers who ask
Experience: amama has operated two physical stores in Berlin plus the online shop at amama.space since 2021, and blue lotus has been part of the range from the start. Because the team speaks with customers in person every day, we regularly encounter questions about apomorphine and aporphine alkaloids that never show up in online reviews — a qualitative signal online-only sellers simply do not have access to.
Customer feedback: Questions we hear in the Neukölln store regularly are whether blue lotus 'contains apomorphine' — a claim customers often bring in from online articles. Our standard in-store answer is that Nymphaea caerulea contains aporphine-class alkaloids such as nuciferine, while apomorphine itself is a pharmaceutical derivative of morphine, and that the two should not be conflated.
Explore further
- Blue Lotus — the complete guide — pillar article on what blue lotus actually contains and how it was used historically
- Nuciferine — Compound Profile — the primary aporphine alkaloid present in blue lotus
- Blue Lotus at amama — whole flower, tinctures and extracts, lab-tested
Sources
- PubChem CID 6005 — Apomorphine
- Wikipedia — Apomorphine
- Ancient Origins — Blue Lotus: The Ancient Egyptian Dream Flower
- Bertol, E., Fineschi, V., Karch, S. B., et al. (2004). Nymphaea cults in ancient Egypt and the New World. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 97(2), 84–85.
- Haddad, C. G. (2021). Uppsala University thesis on ritualistic use of Nymphaea
- European Medicines Agency — apomorphine product information

