Ethnobotany. Lecture 30

Alexey Shipunov

Minot State University

April 8th, 2011

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Outline

1 Plant remedies for respiratory system

2 Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

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Outline

1 Plant remedies for respiratory system

2 Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Shipunov (MSU) BIOL 310.30 April 8th, 2011 2 / 56

Plant remedies for respiratory system

Ipecac, Cephaelis (Psychotria) spp., Rubiaceae,Central America

Ipecacuanhae radixIoquinoline alkaloids as emetineHas both mucolytic and emetic effects (frequently used asanti-toxic)

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Plant remedies for respiratory system

Ipecac

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Plant remedies for respiratory system

Emetine

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Plant remedies for respiratory system

Cough

Normally a symptom of other diseasesSuppression of brain nervous centers will reduce the cough

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Plant remedies for respiratory system

Opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, Papaveraceae,Asia

Contain alkaloids codeine and morphineCodeine is toxic in large doses because of respiratory depressioneffectMorphine causes strong addiction and painful withdrawalsyndromeOpioids mimic endogenous opioids: endorphins, enkephalins,dynorphins neurotransmitters

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Plant remedies for respiratory system

Codeine and morphine

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Stimulants and narcotics

Most of them substitute natural synaptic neurotransmittersWithdrawal syndrome is due to flexibility of our biosynthesis

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

From Nutt et al. (2007) in ”Lancet”

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Cannabis, Cannabis sativa, Cannabaceae, South Asia

Annual or perennial herbLeaves contain unique family of terpeno-phenolic compoundscalled cannabinoids (some psychoactive like THC,tetrahydrocannabinol; some are not like CBD, cannabidiols)THC is known to activate protein-coupled cannabinoid receptors land 2 (CB1, CB2)Cannabinoids mimic endocannabinoids which acts asretro-neurotransmitters which go backward in synapse andterminate release of “normal” neurotransmitters

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Cannabis

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

CBD, cannabidiol

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Coca, Erythroxylon coca, Erythroxylaceae, SouthAmerica

Andean evergreen shrubContains cocaine, anesthetic and strong stimulant narcoticCocaine blocks the dopamine transporter protein

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Coca

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Cocaine

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Peyote cactus, Lophophora williamsii, Cactaceae,Mexico

Cactus plant containing mescaline, LSD/psilocybin grouphallucinogen narcoticAgonist of serotonin 5-HT2A receptor

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Lophophora

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Mescaline

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Cola, Cola spp., Malvaceae, West Africa

Colae semenTropical tree, seeds contain caffeine and kolaninsCaffeine is antagonist of adenosine inhibitory receptors andnatural insecticide

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Cola

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Caffeinated spiders make wrong webs

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Tea, Camellia sinensis, Theaceae, East Asia

Small evergreen shrubNative to China, cultivated there from 2500 BC

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Tea

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Tea facts

Young leaves and buds are mostly usedThere are fermented (black, pu-ehr, up to 3% of caffeine!) andnon-fermented (green) teasAll contain caffeine and small amounts of theobromine andtheophylline

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Coffee, Coffea arabica, Rubiaceae, East Africa

Small evergreen tree with regular growthNative to Ethiopia, was a local Yemen culture until XVIII century

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Coffee

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Coffee facts

Seeds contain up to 2.5% of caffeineMost of aromatic compounds (caffeol) are activated when frying

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Cocoa, Theobroma cacao, Malvaceae, South America

Evergreen small tree with caulifloryCocoa beans are large fruits which go to cocoa, chocolate and oilproduction

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Cocoa

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Cocoa facts

Fermented and fried seeds contain 2% of theobrominePhosphodiesterase inhibitor which raises intracellular cAMP43% of world cocoa come from Côte d’Ivoire

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Theobromine

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Yerba mate, Ilex paraguariensis, Aquifoliaceae, SouthAmerica

Evergreen shrub from semi-deserts of South AmericaLeaves contain up to 2% of caffeineAnti-cancer and cancer effects were both stated

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Mate

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Yerba mate

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Guarana, Paulinia spp., Sapindaceae, South America

Tropical shrub with pinnate leaves; seed powder is used as a drinkExtremely high in caffeine (up to 6%), actually caffeine old namewas “guaranine”

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Guarana

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Khat, Catha edulis, Celastraceae, East Africa

Evergreen shrub ecologically similar to coffeeLeaves contain cathine (pseudonorephedrine), agonist ofnoardrenaline receptors, which mild psychoactive effects

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Khat

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Cathine

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Areca nut, Areca catechu, Palmae, Southeast Asia

Nuts are chewed with betle pepper (Piper betle, Piperaceae)leaves and slaked lime (Ca(OH)2)Chemical reaction will free arecoline alkaloid (similar to nicotine),agonist of acetylcholine receptors

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Areca nut vendor (Hainan, China)

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Arecoline

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Tobacco, Nicotiana tabacum, Solanaceae, CentralAmerica

Perennial herb with large glanduliferous leavesContain alkaloid nicotine binding to acetylcholine receptors and(among other effects) increases the level of brain dopamineNicotine is a also a well-known natural insecticide

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Nicotine

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Kava, Piper methysticum, Piperaceae, Pacific

Small shrub, roots are used to prepare sedative drinkActive components are kavactones, stimulate inhibitoryγ-aminobutyric GABA receptors

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Kava

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Kavactone

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Hibiscus tea, Hibiscus sabdariffa, Malvaceae,Mediterranean

Flower calyces (sepals) are dried and boiledContain flavonoids (e.g., anthocyanin deplhinidin) and organicacids with multiple medicinal effects, e.g., lowering blood pressure

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Hibiscus tea plant

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Delphinidin anthocyanide

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Rooibos tea, Aspalathus linearis, Leguminosae, SouthAfrica

Small shrub of Cape provinceLeaves contain high level of antioxidants such as aspalathin andnothofagin, fermented similarly to tea or yerba mate

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Rooibos

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Plant remedies for nervous system; stimulants

Summary

Most of stimulant narcotics are analogs of neurotransmitters

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Appendix For Further Reading

For Further Reading

A. Shipunov.Ethnobotany [Electronic resource]. 2011—onwards.Mode of access:http://ashipunov.info/shipunov/school/biol_310

M. Heinrich and others.Fundamentals of pharmacognosy amd phytotherapy (selectedchapters). [Electronic resource].Churchhill Livingstone, 2004.Mode of access: http://ashipunov.info/shipunov/school/biol_310/heinrich2004_fund_pharm_part.djvuChapter 16.

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