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Kava: kava-kava Piper methysticum: Sedatives, sleeping pills, antipsychotics, alcohol [15] Milkvetch: Astragalus: Astragalus may interact with medications that suppress the immune system, such as cyclophosphamide. [24] It may also affect blood sugar levels and blood pressure. Pineapple enzyme Ananas comosus: Bromelain
Traditionally, only noble kava cultivars have been consumed, as they are accepted as safe and produce desired effects. [63] The specific effects of various noble kavas depend on various factors, such as the cultivar used (and the related specific composition of kavalactones), age of the plant, and method of consumption. [62]
Kavalactones are a class of lactone compounds found in kava roots and Alpinia zerumbet (shell ginger). [1] and in several Gymnopilus, Phellinus and Inonotus fungi. [2] Some kavalactones are bioactive. They are responsible for the psychoactive, analgesic, euphoric and sedative effects of kava. [3] [4]
Kava is able to increase dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens [2] and desmethoxyyangonin likely contributes to this effect. This, along with several other catecholamines, may be responsible for the purported attention-promoting effects of kava.
Kavain has anticonvulsive properties, attenuating vascular smooth muscle contraction through interactions with voltage-dependent Na + and Ca 2+ channels. [1] How this effect is mediated, and to what extent this mechanism is involved in the anxiolytic and analgesic effects of kavalactones on the central nervous system, is unknown.
This is an alphabetical list of plants used in herbalism. Phytochemicals possibly involved in biological functions are the basis of herbalism, and may be grouped as: primary metabolites, such as carbohydrates and fats found in all plants; secondary metabolites serving a more specific function. [1]
Entheogenic drugs and the archaeological record; Hallucinogenic fish; List of plants used for smoking; List of psychoactive substances and precursor chemicals derived from genetically modified organisms; List of psychoactive substances derived from artificial fungi biotransformation; List of substances used in rituals; Medicinal fungi
Dihydrokavain is one of the six major kavalactones found in the kava plant. [1] It appears to contribute significantly to the anxiolytic effects of kava, based on a study in chicks. [2] Dihydrokavain bears some structural similarity to the strobilurins and has some fungicidal activity. [3]