Planta Med 1997; 63(6): 548-549
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-957761
Letters

© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

[3 H]-Monoamine Uptake Inhibition Properties of Kava Pyrones

Ulrike Seitz, Almut Schüle, Johannes Gleitz
  • Institute of Naturheilkunde, University Clinics Ulm, Helmholtzstr. 20, D-89081 Ulm, Germany
Further Information

Publication History

1997

1997

Publication Date:
04 January 2007 (online)

Abstract

Three kava pyrones, the natural compounds (+)-methysticine and (+)-kavain, and the synthetic racemate (±)-kavain, were tested concerning their action on in vitro uptake of monoamines in synaptosomes prepared from the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of rats. (±)-Kavain and (+)-kavain were found to potently inhibit the uptake of [3 H]-noradrenaline. Uptake of [3 H]-noradrenaline was inhibited in the following order of potency: (±)-kavain = (+)-kavain > (+)-methysticine, whereas none of the kava pyrones efficiently blocked the uptake of [3 H]-serotonin. The results indicate a pyrone-specific non-stereo-selective inhibition of the [3 H]-noradrenaline uptake which might be responsible for or, at least, contribute to the psychotropic properties of kava pyrones.