Alchemica

Asking for a fellow member if the benefits of hydrogen water are noteworthy? Anyone have personal experiences? I don't have any knowledge of it other than a glimpse at the literature but if anyone has any input that would be appreciated. Particularly looking into any effects for pain management, RLS etc https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13030313 https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28237785 If it works as claims, would a cheap option like this be a suitable starting point?

I totally neglected looking into Carpobrotus sp. at all but wondering if they have been explored more recently by anyone? Carpobrotus edulis has long been used as food and in traditional medicine in South Africa. This plant is used by the traditional healers to treat tuberculosis, diabetes mellitus, sores, high blood pressure, intestinal worms and constipation. "...contemporary bioassays of this species in the US have [in some instances] revealed it to sometimes be more potent than Sceletium tortuosum, though of similar quality (pers. comms). C. rossii which is much more common than C. edulis in Australia ... appears to be inactive" - Garden of Eden, S. Voogelbreinder Leaves from C. edulis have a nutritional profile suitable for human consumption. - in vitro biological activities were described for C. edulis including antioxidant, immune modulating, antimicrobial; anticholinesterase and anti-tumoral activity - antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties validated - Exerts a high in vitro anti-neuroinflammatory activity and contains compounds with the potential to prevent neuronal cell damage Primary literature interest in the medicinal effects has been through the phenolic fraction, of which is particularly abundant. Some phytochemical analyses have noted: β-amyrin, oleanolic acid, uvaol, monogalactosyldiacylglycerol, catechin, epicatechin and procyanidin B5 Máximo P, Ferreira LM, Branco PS, Lourenço A. Invasive Plants: Turning Enemies into Value. Molecules. 2020 Aug 1;25(15):3529. doi: 10.3390/molecules25153529. M.I. Rocha, M.J. Rodrigues, C. Pereira, H. Pereira, M.M. da Silva, N. da Rosa Neng, J.M.F. Nogueira, J. Varela, L. Barreira, L. Custódio, Biochemical profile and in vitro neuroprotective properties of Carpobrotus edulis L., a medicinal and edible halophyte native to the coast of South Africa, South African Journal of Botany, Volume 111,2017,Pg 222-231 doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2017.03.036 R.B. Mulaudzi, A.O. Aremu, K.R.R. Rengasamy, S.A. Adebayo, L.J. McGaw, S.O. Amoo, J. Van Staden, C.P. Du Plooy, Antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, anticholinesterase and cytotoxicity determination of two Carpobrotus species, South African Journal of Botany,Volume 125, 2019, Pages 142-148 doi: 10.1016/j.sajb.2019.07.007. Omoruyi, B. E., Bradley, G., & Afolayan, A. J. (2012). Antioxidant and phytochemical properties of Carpobrotus edulis (L.) bolus leaf used for the management of common infections in HIV/AIDS patients in Eastern Cape Province. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 12(1). doi:10.1186/1472-6882-12-215 B. Ibtissem, C. Abdelly and S. Sfar, "Antioxidant and Antibacterial Properties of Mesembryanthemum crystallinum and Carpobrotus edulis Extracts," Advances in Chemical Engineering and Science, Vol. 2 No. 3, 2012, pp. 359-365. doi: 10.4236/aces.2012.23042.

Even Lampranthus spp. has been commercially sold as 'Chinese Kanna', so not sure about that?

I've been interested in this plant as a potential pro-cognitive but wonder if it could also have merits in augmenting plant medicines. Convolvulus plauricalis (Shankpushpi) has nootropic, neuroprotective, anti-depressant, anti-stress, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-convulsant, anxiolytic, analgesic, spasmolytic, aphrodisiac, sedative, anti-Alzheimer's, and anti-Parkinson’s activity. The most notable constituents are tropane alkaloids. Only convolamine has been identified, but other alkaloids (convoline, convolidine, convolvine, confoline, convosine, etc) found in other species from this family are probably present. Convolamine is a potent positive modulator of the sigma-1 receptor [1] Scopoletin, kampferol and β-sitosterol were also found in significant amounts While I'm interested in the neuroprotective, pro-cognitive effects, the action of sigma-1 positive modulation makes me ponder if it may be an effective novel admixture - σ1R modulation seems to have a useful therapeutic augmentation effect of serotonergics etc and it's often used as a polyherbal remedy. [1] Crouzier L, Meunier J, Carles A, Morilleau A, Vrigneau C, Schmitt M, Bourguignon JJ, Delprat B, Maurice T. Convolamine, a tropane alkaloid extracted from Convolvulus plauricalis, is a potent sigma-1 receptor-positive modulator with cognitive and neuroprotective properties. Phytother Res. 2024 Feb;38(2):694-712. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.8068. [2] Balkrishna A, Thakur P, Varshney A. Phytochemical Profile, Pharmacological Attributes and Medicinal Properties of Convolvulus prostratus - A Cognitive Enhancer Herb for the Management of Neurodegenerative Etiologies. Front Pharmacol. 2020 Mar 3;11:171. https://doi.org/10.3389%2Ffphar.2020.00171

I haven't personally explored combinations but I've in a limited way heard of 'useful' potentiation of 5-HT1A/2A agonists but one would want to be cautious re adverse interactions. Definitely wouldn't combine with MAOIs. Mesembrine seems very atypical as a SSRI, if it is even one [1]. Depending on the alkaloid profile, it may be more a monoamine releaser through VMAT2 etc and different studies have pointed to that effect. Coupled with the PDE4 inhibition it may "enhance 5-HT2AR signaling by increasing cAMP levels" [1] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2015.11.034

Roots may be a more interesting option, that's where the researchers have been looking for antidepressant potential. It's undisputedly much milder and requires higher doses but given it has traditional use as an anxiolytic and anti-inflammatory (Garden of Eden), it's got some potential merits if other options are less available. Keep in mind it's devoid of mesembrine, initial results that it had 13.6% the mesembrine of Sceletium were later disputed, instead has other alkaloids 1.8g alkaloid was obtained from 250g of dried roots. Considering 100mg/kg alkaloid fraction i.p. was found to be antidepressant in rats [1], which may be excessive, ~16mg/kg may potentially be needed for human antidepressant effects. 4,5-dihydro-4'-O-methylsceletenone and 4'-O-methylsceletenone were the dominant alkaloids in the root @ 0.235%, stems had ~ 0.1% [2]. Said, A. A. E., Ali, T. F. S., Attia, E. Z., Ahmed, A. S. F., Shehata, A. H., Abdelmohsen, U. R., & Fouad, M. A. (2020). Antidepressant potential of Mesembryanthemum cordifolium roots assisted by metabolomic analysis and virtual screening. Natural Product Research, 35(23), 5493–5497. https://doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2020.1788019 A study of Mesembryanthemaceae alkaloids (2006) Candice Delphine Gaffney https://def-sa.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Gaffney_Candice_D_2006_0.pdf aptenia | PDF Host

Keen to hear people list off dietary/nutritional interventions they've found benefit from for mental or cognitive health. Trying to write up a more comprehensive list than what I can currently find elsewhere, early days let me know if you think of other additions https://1drv.ms/x/s!AiE8pZSRNVehlH63pwhJE5ags31C?e=y8b8zy

Found this to be a good review. Not suggesting self-medication using plants as a standalone to replace conventional pharmacotherapy but particularly think it may have some merits as adjunctive treatment, particularly if one sticks with more benign phytochemicals in line with more dietary-type modifications etc Alternative Therapy of Psychosis: Potential Phytochemicals and Drug Targets in the Management of Schizophrenia https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.895668 Anti-schizophrenic drugs have variable efficacy in different patients, with often poor efficacy and sometimes with debilitating side-effects. There is a great need of more efficacious and safer remedies. Phytochemicals offer potential and diverse alternatives to allopathic anti schizophrenic medicines due to their wide array of biological activities such as anti-inflammatory activity, anti-oxidant potential, affecting neurotransmission, and modulating cell signaling pathways Possible factors? - genetic and environmental factors, prenatal infections - neurochemical factors (dopamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate, serotonin and noradrenaline - interplay of neuro inflammation, oxidative stress, cell signaling pathways and abnormal immune system activation Phytochemicals playing a beneficial role? - Phytochemicals showing efficacy against schizophrenia belong to different phytochemical classes such as alkaloids, tannins, glycosides, phenolic acids, flavonoids, terpenes, terpenoids and essential oils.

Best talking with your Dr but as an adjunct, not to be considered medical advice: Omega-3's seem pretty mood stabilising in most studies "sources state that omega-3s may have a mood stabilising effect and help with short-term symptoms of bipolar disorder" Dietary ketosis seems very stabilising, maybe could add some MCTs to your diet if you can't go full keto Lithium is natural, while high doses are only good suggested under medical supervision, some people find low dose lithium orotate can have some benefits N-acetyl-cysteine seems to have some 'leveling effects' and evidence for it's use in diverse mental health conditions 5-HTP or tryptophan might level out some emotional volatility If it's anxious distress, maybe something like oral lavender oil capsules you can get at the chemist which has similar levels of effect size on such as SSRIs and BZDs I found L-tetrahydropalmatine leveling Something like theanine? Taurine, Glutamine etc. Calming herbs. Whole range of more calming things out there that might dampen excitatory neurotransmission a bit for you Considered something like inositol? You need quite high doses and the level of evidence as a mood stabiliser isn't great but it's benign

They "... interact with all the base pairs of DNA (A-T; G-C) and phosphate group through hydrogen bond (H-bond) interaction." Probably similar to things like beta-carbolines that interact in the way below. Other ones like coralyne and berberine also form a complex with DNA, probably by intercalation, giving rise to therapeutic effects in things like cancer. Johnson, I.M., Prakash, H., Prathiba, J., Raghunathan, R., Malathi, R. Spectral analysis of naturally occurring methylxanthines (theophylline, theobromine and caffeine) binding with DNA. PLoS One 2012, 7, e50019. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0050019

Anyone used theobromine for a sustained period and found it useful for attention deficits? The cacao flavonols would likely be synergistic over theobromine alone It's only an animal model study so far but potentially an option Theobromine improves hyperactivity, inattention, and working memory via modulation of dopaminergic neural function in the frontal cortex of spontaneously hypertensive rats https://doi.org/10.1039/D4FO00683F While it has a nonselective PDE inhibition effect greater than caffeine, oral theobromine inhibits mTOR signalling in vivo which is of relevance to multiple conditions [1] and elevates cerebral brain-derived neurotrophic factor and facilitates learning in animal models [2] and orally supplemented, it upregulates the pathways in the mPFC, which may then improve working memory in animal models [3]. MTXs act through a variety of different molecular mechanisms: mobilization of intracellular calcium, inhibition of phosphodiesterases (PDEs), modulation of gamma-amino butyric acid (GABAA) receptors, inhibition of high affinity ATP-dependent cyclic nucleotide transporters and antagonism of adenosine receptors. The plasma levels that could be reached under dietary regimes and the fact that MTXs readily cross the blood-brain barrier indicate that these drugs inhibit adenosine receptors in the CNS; higher doses may be required to mobilize intracellular calcium, inhibit PDEs or modulate GABAA receptors, or to unselectively inhibit ABCC5 and ABCC4 transporters. Moreover, despite the physiological relevance, also under scrutiny is how caffeine, theobromine and theophylline are able to interact with native double helical DNA [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30451374 [2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27833051 [3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31010016

Theres Aus shops like this Home - My Terpenes Australia For pinenes, I tend to use frankincence essential oil unless you can get the pure terpene - ~30-60% α-pinene. There seems to be different enantiomers in different oils which needs to be taken into account. Even between B. carterii and B. sacra there seems to be different pinene enantiomers. α-pinene: anti-inflammatory via PGE1, acetylcholinesterase inhibitor - aiding memory, positive modulator of GABAA receptors at BZD sites. α-pinene was observed to initiate soothing physiological and behavioural responses with a significant impact on physiological and psychological relaxation. (1R)-(+)-α-pinene was more prevalent than (1S)-(−)-α-pinene in pine oils (+)-α-Pinene was the predominant enantiomer in most rosemary, this is intriguing as (-)-α-pinene displays partial modulation of GABAA-BZD receptors and direct binding to the BZD binding site of GABAA receptor while the (+)- enantiomer is less characterised. α-Pinene shows anti-metastatic and anti-tumor activities. Moreover, it seems to be anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and an anti-allergic bronchodilator and can produce anxiolytic and hypnotic effects via the GABAergic system (α-PN shows anxiolytic and hypnotic effects upon inhaled administration. α-PN evokes its hypnotic action through direct binding to GABAA as a partial modulator at the benzodiazepine binding site

I've played around a bit with terpenes/Citrus oils, even making a transdermal spray. I find they get more interesting as synergistic blends. Komiya and colleagues (2006) observed that lemon oil vapor inhalation causes an anti-stress effect by modulating serotonergic and dopaminergic in addition to GABAergic systems in mice. Limonene enhances neurotransmitter release and could inhibit HPA activity under physical stress, It may act via regulating dopamine levels and 5-HT receptor function, along with GABAA activity. Citrus essential oils have been utilised widely in traditional medicine "Improvements in neuroendocrine, neurotrophic, and monoaminergic systems are related to the antidepressant effects of limonene". It produces antidepressant-like effects that seems to be mediated by 5-HT and dopamine neurotransmission and is an agonist for adenosine A(2A) receptors. Lemon essential oils showed strong ability to improve memory in animal models It is suggested "metabolites of these monoterpene compounds contained in citrus essential oils have a stronger effect on monoamine release from brain tissue than the monoterpene compounds themselves"

No experience with consumption myself either but maybe I need to expel some bad spirits....

Doing lots of cuttings of this at the moment, if someone wants to grow it get in touch here. No WA/TAS. Tea has been prepared from the leaves, rich in antioxidants. Iresine herbstii (Amaranthaceae), traditionally called “cimora se˜ norita”, is used in black magic (De Feo, 2003) and in association with San Pedro for magic rituals (Friedberg, 1959; Dobkin De Rios, 1977; De Feo, 2003), to diagnose illness, and to take possession of another identity (Cruz-Sanchez, 1948). Its leaves are claimed, for external use, a skin depurative, whereas the aerial part decoction is known to be an antipyretic (De Feo, 2003). - anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic and apoptotic activities and antioxidant activity - affinity for the 5-HT1AR - affinity for 5-HT2C receptor and for D1 receptor (MeOH extract) - lower affinity for D1 and higher affinity for D2 receptors (Aq. extract) - presumable antagonist action on D1 and D2 receptors by Iresine (both extracts) Leaves: 2,5-Dimethoxy-6,7-(methylenedioxy)-isoflavone; acylated betacyanins Roots: oleanolic acid and its saponins. An alcoholic extract of the root showed the presence of amino acids, steroids, triterpenoids, alkaloids and coumarins. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2005.11.022 https://doi.org/10.1076/phbi.34.3.184.13212