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A. Cruz

A unique natural selective kappa-opioid receptor agonist, salvinorin A, and its roles in human therapeutics

February 10, 2017 / Papers, Psychology, Publications, Salvia / Salvinorin A / By / , , ,

Abstract

Until the mid-60s, only the Mazatecs, an indigenous group from Oaxaca, Mexico, used Salvia Divinorum (S. divinorum) due to its hallucinogen properties.

Later it was found that the hallucinogen effects of this plant were caused by the presence of a neoclerodane diterpene Salvinorin A (salvinorin A), which is a highly selective agonist of kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) that cause more intense hallucinations than the common hallucinogens as lysergic acid, mushrooms, ecstasy and others. In fact, smoking of only 200–500 μg of S. divinorum leaves is enough to produce these effects thus making it the most potent natural occurring hallucinogen known.

Due to its legal status in various countries, this compound has gained a worldwide popularity as a drug of abuse with an easy access through smartshops and internet.

Furthermore, salvinorin A gathered an increased interest in the scientific community thanks to its unique structure and properties, and various studies demonstrated that salvinorin A has antinociceptive, antidepressant, in some circumstances pro-depressant and anti-addictive effects that have yielded potential new avenues for research underlying salvinorin A and its semi-synthetic analogs as therapeutic agents.

Cruz, A., Domingos, S., Gallardo, E., & Martinho, A. (2017). A unique natural selective kappa-opioid receptor agonist, salvinorin A, and its roles in human therapeutics. Phytochemistry. 10.1016/j.phytochem.2017.02.001
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Effects of ayahuasca on psychometric measures of anxiety, panic-like and hopelessness in Santo Daime members

July 27, 2007 / Anxiety Disorders / PTSD, Ayahuasca, Depressive Disorders, Papers, Psychology, Publications / By / , , , ,

Abstract

The use of the hallucinogenic brew ayahuasca, obtained from infusing the shredded stalk of the malpighiaceous plant Banisteriopsis caapi with the leaves of other plants such as Psychotria viridis, is growing in urban centers of Europe, South and North America in the last several decades. Despite this diffusion, little is known about its effects on emotional states. The present study investigated the effects of ayahuasca on psychometric measures of anxiety, panic-like and hopelessness in members of the Santo Daime, an ayahuasca-using religion. Standard questionnaires were used to evaluate state-anxiety (STAI-state), trait-anxiety (STAI-trait), panic-like (ASI-R) and hopelessness (BHS) in participants that ingested ayahuasca for at least 10 consecutive years. The study was done in the Santo Daime church, where the questionnaires were administered 1 h after the ingestion of the brew, in a double-blind, placebo-controlled procedure. While under the acute effects of ayahuasca, participants scored lower on the scales for panic and hopelessness related states. Ayahuasca ingestion did not modify state- or trait-anxiety. The results are discussed in terms of the possible use of ayahuasca in alleviating signs of hopelessness and panic-like related symptoms.

Santos, R. G., Landeira-Fernandez, J., Strassman, R. J., Motta, V., & Cruz, A. P. M. (2007). Effects of ayahuasca on psychometric measures of anxiety, panic-like and hopelessness in Santo Daime members. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 112(3), 507-513. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2007.04.012
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