Background: Opioid receptors are a commonly used target for treatment of pain conditions. Most opioids used in therapy are linked to adverse effects such as tolerance, dependence, and respiratory depression. Indole alkaloids acting on opioid receptors may provide a novel molecular mechanism to confer analgesic effects. Results: Indole alkaloids such as ibogaine and mitragynine act on μ-opioid...
) is a Southeast Asian plant containing various alkaloids that induce pharmacological effects in humans. In Western countries, online vendors sell a variety of different kratom strains which are marketed to have distinct effect profiles. However, as of yet such marketing claims are unsubstantiated, and therefore the current study investigated whether differently colored kratom products can...
Salvia divinorum L. (Lamiaceae) has been used for centuries by the Mazatecan culture and has gained popularity as a recreational drug in recent years. Its potent hallucinogenic effects seen in case reports has triggered research and led to the discovery of the first highly selective non-nitrogenous kappa opioid receptor agonist salvinorin A. This review critically evaluates the reported...