Plant Depressants: Tranquilizers and Opiates

Indian Snakeroot

Shrub

Native: India, E Asia

reserpine

reserpine

Indian Snakeroot

Treat schizophrenia, hypertension, tranquilizer

Not used today due to side effects

Kava

shrub

Native: South Pacific Islands

Plant part: rootstock (chewed, grating)

Does not grow naturally, must be cultivated

kavalactones

kavalactones

Kava, 18 different compounds

muscle-relaxing and antispasmodic

non-psychotic anxiety symptoms

Opium Poppy

annual plant, poppy

Native: SW Asia

Plant part: capsule

Greece → Mycenean funerary rites, fertility gods

Mediterranean → ivory pipes

English → Paraclesus, Thomas Sydenham, extremely popular to the point babies used it

China → Banning of tobacco turned smoking into pure opium

Canton → first opium war, Britain made them pay for the cost of destroyed opium

morphine, noscapine, papaverine, thebaine

morphine

Opium Poppy, alkaloid

powerful painkiller

Addiction → American Civil war, Franco-Prussian war

Alder wright → diacetylmorphine (heroin)

heroin

morphine, Opium Poppy

Sold as a non-addictive substitute to morphine

three times more potent, most addictive

2 weeks for addiction

hydromorphine

morphine, Opium Poppy, Semi-synthetic

long-term relief in cancer patients

Naloxone

morphine, Opium Poppy, Semi-synthetic

reverses depressive effect on respiratory and CNS

used for opioid withdrawal

Methadone

morphine, Opium Poppy, Synthetic

Germany

used to overcome heroin addiction by prolonging withdrawal symptoms

Codeine

morphine, Opium Poppy, Semi-synthetic

cough suppressant

controlled in US but over-the-counter in Canada

Oxycodine

thebaine, Opium Poppy, Semi-synthetic

around-the-clock pain relief required

Controlled by Canada

Fentanyl

morphine, Opium Poppy, Synthetic

analgesic and anesthetic, pain relief

50-100 times more potent

Ethanol

Fermentation of yeast

Rapid yeast → baking

Slow yeast → alcohol, beer (6%), wine (16%)

Beer: cereal grains, distilled into whisky

Wine and cider: fruit juices, distilled into brandy

Mead: honey

stimulate GABA receptors, increases dopamine