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 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractSalvinorin A, a naturally occurring hallucinogen as potent as LSD, works by selectively activating the kappa opioid receptor (KOR). It is unique among KOR agonists because it contains no nitrogen. This selectivity suggests the KOR could be a target for developing drugs to treat perception-related disorders such as schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, and bipolar disorder.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 151 |
| Key finding | 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.