Salvinorin A: the "magic mint" hallucinogen finds a molecular target in the kappa opioid receptor.
Douglas J Sheffler, Bryan L. Roth
Trends in Pharmacological Sciences March 1, 2003 DOI: 10.1016/S0165-6147(03)00027-0 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Salvia divinorum |
| Citations | 151 |
| Key findings | Salvinorin A is a selective, non-nitrogenous agonist of the kappa opioid receptor, which may serve as a molecular target for treating disorders involving altered perception. |
Abstract
Salvinorin A, a neoclerodane diterpene, is the most potent naturally occurring hallucinogen known and rivals the synthetic hallucinogen lysergic acid diethylamide in potency. Recently, the molecular target of salvinorin A was identified as the kappa opioid receptor (KOR). Salvinorin A represents the only known non-nitrogenous KOR selective agonist. Based on the selectivity of salvinorin A for the KOR, this receptor represents a potential molecular target for the development of drugs to treat disorders characterized by alterations in perception, including schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease and bipolar disorder.