One of the least well-known yet possibly-significant of the alkaloids of the opium poppy is called noscapine (formerly known as narcotine). In the research done thus far, noscapine has been shown to be not only a very safe cough suppressant (safer even than the more common dextromethorphan), but also shows promise for being effective in treating cancer and stroke.
More information on this potentially-great drug can be found here.
Also a good article on the prostate-cancer-fighting possibilities of noscapine.
