Plants and the central nervous system

• Published in: Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior Biochemistry and Behavior, 2003-06, Vol.75 (3), p.501-512
• Main Author: Carlini, E.A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Anxiety - drug therapy; Ayahuasca; Banisteriopsis caapi; Biological and medical sciences; Cannabis sativa; Catha edulis; Central Nervous System Depressants - isolation & purification; Central Nervous System Depressants - pharmacology; Central Nervous System Depressants - therapeutic use; Central Nervous System Stimulants - isolation & purification; Central Nervous System Stimulants - pharmacology; Central Nervous System Stimulants - therapeutic use; CNS plants; Ephedra; Ephedra spp; General pharmacology; Guaraná; Humans; Iboga; Kava-kava; Khat; Medical sciences; Medicinal plants; Pain - drug therapy; Passiflora; Passiflora incarnata; Paullinia; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phytotherapy - methods; Piper methysticum; Plant adaptogens; Plant Extracts - isolation & purification; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Plants, Medicinal; Psychotria viridis; Tabernanthe iboga; Valeriana; Weight Loss - drug effects; Weight Loss - physiology
• ISSN: 0091-3057; 1873-5177
• DOI: 10.1016/S0091-3057(03)00112-6

This review article draws the attention to the many species of plants possessing activity on the central nervous system (CNS). In fact, they cover the whole spectrum of central activity such as psychoanaleptic, psycholeptic and psychodysleptic effects, and several of these plants are currently used in therapeutics to treat human ailments. Among the psychoanaleptic (stimulant) plants, those utilized by human beings to reduce body weight [ Ephedra spp. (Ma Huang), Paullinia spp. (guaraná), Catha edulis Forssk. (khat)] and plants used to improve general health conditions (plant adaptogens) were scrutinized. Many species of hallucinogenic (psychodysleptic) plants are used by humans throughout the world to achieve states of mind distortions; among those, a few have been used for therapeutic purposes, such as Cannabis sativa L., Tabernanthe iboga Baill. and the mixture of Psychotria viridis Ruiz and Pav. and Banisteriopsis caapi (Spruce ex Griseb.) C.V. Morton. Plants showing central psycholeptic activities, such as analgesic or anxiolytic actions ( Passiflora incarnata L., Valeriana spp. and Piper methysticum G. Forst.), were also analysed. Finally, the use of crude or semipurified extracts of such plants instead of the active substances seemingly responsible for their therapeutic effect is discussed.