Psychoactive Botanicals and Their Constituents: A Brief Review

Correspondence should be addressed to Antoine Al-Achi, USA E-mail: alachi@campbell.edu Since ancient times botanicals that affected moods and produced a feeling of relaxation have been used as sleep aids (for insomnia), to overcome anxiety, and to induce stillness [1]. A list of these plants, along with their chemical composition, is found in table 1. Specific therapeutic applications of psychoactive botanicals include their use for insomnia, as anti-depressive agents, to induce an anxiolytic action, as a treatment for headaches and migraines, to control menopausal symptoms associated with mood issues, and for various neurodegenerative diseases, among others (Table 2). Copyright

7. Hops herb also contains a resin (humulones and lupulones). 8. A phytoestrogen substance was also discovered in hops, namely 8-prenylnaringenin. Due to the use of hops in beer, an insignificant amount of this plant estrogen is also found in beer-containing hops. 9. This plant contains chalcones, similar to kava.
2. Compounds present in the essential oil obtained from this plant are citral (neral and geranial), polyphenols, and flavonoids.

2.
Other components present in this plant are tannins, coumarin alkaloids, flavonoids, glycine, and tyrosine. 1. The major active constituents in St. John's wort are the naphthodianthrones hypericin and pseudohypericin and the acylphloroglucinols hyperforin and adhyperforin.
3. Components in the essential oils include a total of 150 compounds; the main ones are the monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. The monoterpenes are borneol, bornyl acetate, and isobornyl acetate. Approximately 30 sesquiterpenes (guaiane and valerian types) are also present in valerian.
The purported pharmacological activities of these herbs are summarized in table 2. Much of these effects are taken advantage of in folk medicine. Potential herb-drug interactions are often recognized, in particular when the herb is taken concurrently with the medications, in large doses, and for prolonged periods. Moreover, the "therapeutic" action of the herb cannot always be explained by the chemistry of the herbal material, a matter that requires further investigations. While some of the activities of the botanicals may be scientifically documented, the majority of these purported effects are folkloric. Folk medicine often relies on traditional ethnic use, anecdotal accounts, and occasional case reports. As shown in table 2, although the actions of the botanicals discussed in this brief editorial are mainly for psychological disorders, these herbs possess tremendous potentials for beneficial applications in many other pathological conditions.
It should be noted that the use of herbal supplements during pregnancy, for children, or while breast-feeding is contraindicated unless prescribed by a physician. Besides, herbal dietary supplements differ significantly in their chemical composition among manufacturers, in particular, those products that are not standardized. The use of standardized preparations, although it does not guarantee efficacy, it assures consistency in the manufactured product.