Answer to Question #253652 in Microbiology for Lole

Question

Kavalactones

1. Any other plants/organisms which have been found to contain this Kavalactone?
2. The names and structures of other natural products isolated from the plant/organisms and their relationship to the Kavalactones, if any!
3. Any more recent work on the Kavalactones and/or Kava plant?
4. A brief review of the isolation procedure, and any suggestions that might have for improving it.
5. What are the key features of the structural data which would tell you if you were dealing with this or a related to Kavalactones it is isolated from another plants.
6. Any structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies done on this Kavalactones.
7. Any synthetic work for which this Kavalactones wa sthe target.

Answer 1

Kava or kava-kava (Piper methysticum) is a plant used for the production of a ritual drink with tranquilizing properties. The kavalactones are the main compounds of the kava drinks. There are many clinical trials on the use of kava product for anti-anxiety, and a systematic review supports the use of kava for the treatment of generalized anxiety (Sarris et al., 2009). Adverse effects on the liver have been reported, and kava is regulated in a number of countries (Teschke, 2010). Studies of kava extracts or kavalactones have been focused on elucidating the mechanism underlying its anti-anxiety and sleep-inducing ability, which has been attributed to its modulation of the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor. Recent studies on the mechanisms of action for isolated kavalactones have revealed other neuroprotective activities not directly related to their GABAergic effects. These findings suggest that the use of kava might also be beneficial for the treatment of many degenerative diseases or nervous system conditions.