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. Nat Prod Commun. 2017 Apr;12(4):495-498. A New Ajmaline-type Alkaloid from the Roots of Rauvolfia serpentina. Rukachaisirikul T, Chokchaisiri S, Suebsakwong P, Suksamrarn A, Tocharus C. A new ajmaline-type alkaloid, 21-Ο-methylisoajmaline (1), together with twenty-one known compounds, a mixture of β-sitosterol (2) and stigmasterol (3), reserpinine (4); tetrahydroalstonine (5), reserpine (6), venoterpine (7), yohimbine (8), 6'-O-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoyl)glomeratose A (9), isoajmaline (10), 3-epi-α-yohimbine (11), methyl 3,4,5-trimethoxy-trans-cinnamate (12), a mixture of β-sitosterol 3-Ο-β-D-glucopyranoside (13) and stigmasterol 3-Ο-β-D- glucopyranoside (14), rescidine (15), 7-deoxyloganic acid (16), ajmaline (17), suaveoline (18), (+)-tetraphyllicine (19), loganic acid (20), 3-hydroxysarpagine (21), and sarpagine (22), were isolated from the roots of Rauvolla serpentina. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic data analysis and comparison with literature data. Compounds 11, 12 and 15 were for the first time identified from the genus Rauvolfla and 5, 7, 11, 12, 15, 18 and 22 were found from R. sepentina for the first time. Compound 11 showed moderate anticholinesterase activity with IC₅₀ value of 15.58 μM, whereas 6 exhibited strong vasorelaxant activity with the EC₅₀ value of 0.05 μM. PMID: 30520580 [Indexed for MEDLINE]