The ever-increasing demand for drugs that treat neurological conditions, coupled to the advancement of new techniques for the isolation and characterization of molecular targets as well as chemical entities, the exploration of natural products for neurological drug development is fast advancing.  In collaboration with natural products chemists, research efforts in my laboratory have focused on establishing the potential of a variety of natural products to serve as drug leads for the treatment of various neurological disorders including anxiety, depression, as well as in the relief of opioid withdrawal symptoms.  Phytocannabinoids isolated from high potency cannabis as well indole alkaloids isolated from marine sponges were evaluated for antidepressant-like actions in animal models of behavioral despair paradigms.  The natural product pterostilbene showed significant anxiolytic activity that seems to correlate with down regulation of hippocampal ERK phosphorylation.  Finally the potential for Kratom or mitragynine for pharmacological treatments of opioid withdrawal will be discussed.

Exploring nature against depression, anxiety, and opioid withdrawal

244th National Meeting (2012)

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