Selective kappa opioid receptor (KOR) agonists are promising antipruritic agents and analgesics. However, clinical development of KOR agonists has been limited by side effects, including psychotomimetic effects, dysphoria, and sedation, except for nalfurafine, and recently. CR845 (difelikefalin). Activation of KOR elicits G protein- and β-arrestin-mediated signaling. KOR-induced analgesic and...
Psychedelics are a hallucinogenic class of psychoactive drugs with the primary effect of activating non-ordinary states of consciousness. Due to the positive preliminary findings of these drugs in the treatment of psychiatric disorders, the number of registered clinical studies has risen significantly. In this paper, clinical studies registered on clinicaltrials.gov that evaluate the treatment...
The consumption of new psychoactive substances (NPSs) has been increasing, and this problem affects several countries worldwide. There is a class of NPSs of natural origin, consisting of plants and fungi, which have a wide range of alkaloids, responsible for causing relaxing, stimulating or hallucinogenic effects. The consumption of some of these substances is prompted by religious beliefs and...
The purpose of this article is to explore the Devi Mahatmya’s insights about man and compare it with the conceptions of transpersonal psychology. The paper aims to develop a framework of holistic and integral human concept (Spiritual- Religious) as depicted in Devi Mahatmya and transpersonal psychology. This article is a qualitative study and utilizes a hermeneutic approach to develop the...
The aim of this work was to investigate the applicability of a mathematical model developed for the description of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) of cannabinoids from marijuana and hashish for liquid extraction of other substances. The mentioned model is applicable for dynamic SFE whose implementation is analogous to liquid-solid extraction in quasi-counter current mode. According to this...
Ancient Greece was unique in its attitude to alteration of consciousness. Various altered states of consciousness were commonly known: initiates experienced them during mystery rites; sacred officials and enquirers attained them in the major oracular centres; possession by various deities was recognized; and some sages and philosophers practised manipulation of consciousness. From the...
Combinations of mu and kappa opioid receptor (KOR) agonists have been proposed as potential analgesic formulations with reduced abuse liability. The current studies extend previous work by investigating the typical KOR agonist, salvinorin A, and the atypical KOR agonist, nalfurafine, as deterrents of oxycodone self-administration using a progressive ratio (PR) schedule of reinforcement. In...
New psychoactive substances (NPS) can be divided into two main groups: synthetic molecules and active principles of natural origin. With respect to this latter group, a wide range of alkaloids contained in plants, mainly from Asia and South America, can be included in the class of NPS of natural origin. The majority NPS of natural origin presents stimulant and/or hallucinogenic effects (e.g....
Conform definiiei stabilite de Monitorul European pentru Droguri i Toxicomanie (European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction -EMCDDA), o "substan psihoactiv nou este considerat orice substan narcotic sau psihotrop n form pur sau n preparate, care nu este controlat prin Conveniile privitoare la droguri ale Naiunilor Unite i care reprezint o ameninare la adresa sntii umane comparabil...
According to the definition established by the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) a “new psychoactive substance is considered any narcotic or psychotropic substance in pure form or in preparations, which is not controlled by the Conventions regarding drugs of the United Nations and which represent a threat to human health comparable to that realized by the...