Many medicines and treatments for varying levels of ailments were found through natural bioactives before complex separation techniques were available.Ironically, as medicine advances, drastically more people seem to be reverting to a desire for these natural bioactives.Due to this, it is important to discover and research the pharmacology of historically used plants and how exactly they can...
The chronological events associated with cannabis utilization are viewed perceptively as matters/issues that happened from the period “before Christ” (BC) or “anno domini” (AD, “in the year of our Lord”) to the present time. Cannabis is one of the oldest natural products known to humanity worldwide and has been used by various civilizations, cultures, and religions before the birth of Christ....
July 15, 2021Julia M. Salamat, Kodye L. Abbott, Patrick Flannery et al.
Illicit substances refer to the compounds that are either stimulatory or inhibitory to the central nervous system. These compounds cause hallucinogenic effects, hence, their use has been forbidden. This chapter emphasises the psychoactive illicit substances of fungal origin. Psilocybin is present in hallucinogenic mushrooms which are also called 'magic mushrooms'. It discusses the neurological...
Modern day research, in an attempt to determine the potential therapeutic and adverse effects of illicit substances, is a growing field, but one that faces many regulatory challenges. Due to the potential abuse of illicit substances such as Cannabis, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin, regulations have been conceived with the intent of...
Life SciencesSeptember 15, 2018Mohammed Majrashi, Mohammed Almaghrabi, Maali Fadan et al.
Designer drugs are synthetically formulated to mimic the psychostimulatory effects of an original controlled/illegal drug of abuse. Designer drugs have similar chemical structure or functional analog as compared to existing controlled psychostimulatory drugs. There is a substantial rise in the production and use of designer drugs globally. Piperazine designer drugs were synthesized as an...
Benzylpiperazine has been designated as Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act by Drug Enforcement Administration. Benzylpiperazine is a piperazine derivative, elevates both dopamine and serotonin extracellular levels producing stimulatory and hallucinogenic effects, respectively, similar to methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). However, the comparative neurotoxic effects of...
Designer drugs are synthetic structural analogues/congeners of controlled substances with slightly modified chemical structures intended to mimic the pharmacological effects of known drugs of abuse so as to evade drug classification. Benzylpiperazine (BZP), a piperazine derivative, elevates synaptic dopamine and serotonin levels producing stimulatory and hallucinogenic effects, respectively,...
Life SciencesApril 17, 2014Senthilkumar S Karuppagounder, Dwipayan Bhattacharya, Manuj Ahuja et al.
There is a rapid increase in the use of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and its structural congeners/analogs globally. MDMA and MDMA-analogs have been synthesized illegally in furtive dwellings and are abused due to its addictive potential. Furthermore, MDMA and MDMA-analogs have shown to have induced several adverse effects. Hence, understanding the mechanisms mediating this neurotoxic...