New research: Salvia divinorum chemistry and genetics

[MORG]

I have just been alerted to this fairly new PhD thesis titled: Genetics and phytochemistry of Salvia divinorum from our very own Southern Cross University. 

The bottom lines are:

1) Genetics shows international collection of S. divinorum accessions to likely be of a single clone.
2) Some chemical variation exists among samples (rosmarinic acid and salvinorin A).

3) Chemical variation therefore likely to be environmentally induced.

I've scanned the genetics part and it looks solid. Although nuclear DNA evidence would have been good to see. 

Have yet to have a close read of the chemistry work (and is less my expertise), so I'm not sure how good the science is there. 

There is also a nice job done on a literature review covering natural history, ethnobotany and phytochemistry of the plant. 

[Change]

copied from page 16, seems relevant to a few recent threads here  

 

There are four illnesses for which Mazatecs are known to have used S. divinorum (Johnson 1939; Ott 1996; T. E Prisinzano 2005; Valdés et al. 1983). First, this plant is often employed to cure eliminatory dysfunction such as diarrhoea. Secondly, people who are near death can be given an infusion of the plant’s juices as a palliative, after which it is reported that the patient often recuperates for a short time. Thirdly, S. divinorum, in small doses, is used to cure headaches and rheumatism. Finally, it is given to cure a Mazatec illness known as panzón de arrego or swollen belly. This Mazatec illness is believed to be caused by a curse from a brujo, (male witch) someone who practises black or evil magic (T. E Prisinzano 2005; Ott 1996; Valdés et al. 1983; Johnson 1939).

[theuserformallyknownasd00d]

Thanks change for the rheum pickup 

[Anodyne]

@theuserformallyknownasd00d here's a study about some of the possible mechanisms at work (plus scroll down for a fascinating list of associated articles): 

 

Ultrapotent effects of salvinorin A 

 

...which is vaguely referenced on page 38 of the above paper "[salvinorin A] showed moderate anti-inflammatory action", along with another paper by the same researchers which suggests that (possibly among a wider range of anti-inflammatory effects) it might also specifically be effective for inflammatory gut problems like Crohns:

 

Inhibitory effect of salvinorin A, from Salvia divinorum, on ileitis-induced hypermotility: cross-talk between kappa-opioid and cannabinoid CB(1) receptors

Quote

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The inhibitory effect of salvinorin A on motility reveals a functional interaction between cannabinoid CB(1) receptors and KORs in the inflamed--but not in the normal--gut in vivo

 

Myself & others also ramble a bit about some of the other psychoactive drugs known to have similar activities in this old thread.

[obtuse]

some nice holiday reading

[theuserformallyknownasd00d]

Thanks ano! More reading for the every building list..