Noscapine Hydrochloride is 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. NCI Thesaurus (NCIt) A naturally occurring opium alkaloid that is a centrally acting antitussive agent. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)