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THE ANTINOCICEPTIVE ACTIONS OF KAVA COMPONENTS IN MICE
Author(s) -
Jamieson D. D.,
Duffield P. H.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
clinical and experimental pharmacology and physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1440-1681
pISSN - 0305-1870
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1681.1990.tb01349.x
Subject(s) - kava , nociception , neuroscience , pharmacology , chemistry , medicine , psychology , biochemistry , receptor
SUMMARY 1. The antinociceptive properties of the aqueous extract of the intoxicating beverage kava, and of the lipid soluble extract (kava resin) were tested in mice, by the tail immersion and abdominal constriction methods. Both extracts showed analgesic effects in both tests. 2. Eight purified pyrones from the lipid soluble extract were also tested for activity in the tail immersion test, and kawain, dihydrokawain, methysticin and dihydromethysticin were found to be very effective in producing analgesia. Using the tail immersion test the time course of action of the extracts of the four effective pyrones of kava were studied. 3. Naloxone, in doses which inhibited morphine‐induced analgesia in both tests, was completely ineffective in reversing the antinociceptive activities of the kava extracts, showing that analgesia produced by kava occurs via non‐opiate pathways.