The main active ingredients are alkaloids such as chelirubine, sanguinarine, and macarpine. Other alkaloids are present in minor concentrations. The herb also contains flavon-glycosides. California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) – ©The Herbal Resource Gentle in effect, the major health properties of this herb are sedative, analgesic, and antispasmodic in action. The California poppy is a member of the poppy family and somewhat distantly related to the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum). While the California poppy does contain some sedative alkaloids, it contains no real opium. The most common use of this herb is in diffusion for treating the various physical and psychological conditions