Worldwide, there are plants known as psychoactive plants that naturally contain psychedelic active components. They have a high concentration of neuroprotective substances that can interact with the nervous system to produce psychedelic effects. Despite these plants' hazardous potential, recreational use of them is on the rise because of their psychoactive properties. Early neuroscience studies relied heavily on psychoactive plants and plant natural products (NPs), and both recreational and hazardous NPs have contributed significantly to the understanding of almost all neurotransmitter systems. Worldwide, there are many plants that contain psychoactive properties, and people have been using them for ages. Psychoactive plant compounds may significantly alter how people perceive the world.
1. J Biomol Struct Dyn. 2022 Mar;40(4):1719-1735. doi: 10.1080/07391102.2020.1832577. Epub 2020 Oct 19. Antiviral activity of traditional medicinal plants from Ayurveda against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Maurya VK(1), Kumar S(1), Bhatt MLB(1), Saxena SK(1). Author information: (1)Department of Centre for Advanced Research (CFAR), Faculty of Medicine, King George's Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow, India. SARS-CoV-2 is the etiological agent of COVID-19 and responsible for more than 6 million cases globally, for which no vaccine or antiviral is available. Therefore, this study was planned to investigate the antiviral role of the active constituents against spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 as well as its host ACE2 receptor. Structure-based drug design approach has been used to elucidate the antiviral activity of active constituents present in traditional medicinal plants from Ayurveda. Further, parameters like drug-likeness, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity were determined to ensure the safety and efficacy of active constituents. Gene network analysis was performed to investigate the pathways altered during COVID-19. The prediction of drug-target interactions was performed to discover novel targets for active constituents. The results suggested that amarogentin, eufoliatorin, α-amyrin, caesalpinins, kutkin, β-sitosterol, and belladonnine are the top-ranked molecules have the highest affinity towards both the spike glycoprotein and ACE2. Most active constituents have passed the criteria of drug-likeness and demonstrated good pharmacokinetic profile with minimum predicted toxicity level. Gene network analysis confirmed that G-protein coupled receptor, protein kinase B signaling, protein secretion, peptidyl-serine phosphorylation, nuclear transport, apoptotic pathway, tumor necrosis factor, regulation of angiotensin level, positive regulation of ion transport, and membrane protein proteolysis were altered during COVID-19. The target prediction analysis revealed that most active constituents target the same pathways which are found to be altered during COVID-19. Collectively, our data encourages the use of active constituents as a potential therapy for COVID-19. However, further studies are ongoing to confirm its efficacy against disease. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma. DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2020.1832577 PMCID: PMC7597308 PMID: 33073699 [Indexed for MEDLINE] Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest. 2. Electrophoresis. 2008 May;29(10):2112-6. doi: 10.1002/elps.200700468. Characterization of Atropa belladonna L. compounds by capillary electrophoresis-electrospray ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry and capillary electrophoresis-electrospray ionization-ion trap-mass spectrometry. Arráez-Román D(1), Zurek G, Bässmann C, Segura-Carretero A, Fernández-Gutiérrez A. Author information: (1)Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain. This short communication describes the characterization of seven tropane alkaloid compounds in Atropa belladonna L. Thus a rapid and easy CE-electrospray interface (ESI)-TOF-MS procedure is developed to analyze these compounds in a pharmaceutical preparations of A. belladonna L. leaf extract. Optimum electrophoretic separation is obtained using an alkaline solution of 60 mM ammonium acetate at pH 8.5 containing 5% isopropanol. Under the optimum CE-ESI-TOF-MS conditions several important compounds such as tropine, belladonnine, norhyoscyamine, apoatropine, hyoscyamine, 6beta-hydroxyhyoscyamine, and scopolamine have been simultaneously identified from A. belladonna L. CE-ESI-IT-MS has been used to discriminate the putative presence of littorine. The sensitivity, together with mass accuracy and true isotopic pattern of the TOF-MS, allowed the identification of a broad series of tropane alkaloid compounds present in pharmaceutical preparations of A. belladonna L. leaf extract. DOI: 10.1002/elps.200700468 PMID: 18425749 [Indexed for MEDLINE] 3. Pharm Acta Helv. 1964 Mar;39:150-4. [THE SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC DETERMINATION OF APOATROPINE AND BELLADONNINE IN ATROPINE]. [Article in German] WAALER T, BJERKELUND E. PMID: 14241289 [Indexed for MEDLINE] 4. Arch Int Pharmacodyn Ther. 1962 Sep 1;139:281-300. [Modification of the local analgesic action of local anesthetics by belladonnine sulfate]. [Article in German] HOTOVY R, KAPFF-WALTER J, FIEBIG L. PMID: 13955008 [Indexed for MEDLINE] 5. J Pharm Pharmacol. 1955 Dec;7(12):1067-71. doi: 10.1111/j.2042-7158.1955.tb12119.x. The detection of apoatropine and belladonnine in atropine. ROSENBLUM EI, TAYLOR WS. DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-7158.1955.tb12119.x PMID: 13278854 [Indexed for MEDLINE]