• DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2982.2007.00994.x
• Corpus ID: 25081755

The hallucinogenic herb Salvia divinorum and its active ingredient salvinorin A reduce inflammation‐induced hypermotility in mice

@article{Capasso2008TheHH,
  title={The hallucinogenic herb Salvia divinorum and its active ingredient salvinorin A reduce inflammation‐induced hypermotility in mice},
  author={Raffaele Capasso and Francesca Borrelli and Jordan K Zjawiony and Lukasz M. Kutrzeba and Gabriella Aviello and Giovanni Sarnelli and Francesco Capasso and Angelo A. Izzo},
  journal={Neurogastroenterology \& Motility},
  year={2008},
  volume={20}
}

• R. Capasso, F. Borrelli, +5 authors A. Izzo
• Published 4 September 2007
• Biology, Medicine, Chemistry
• Neurogastroenterology & Motility

Abstract  The hallucinogenic plant Salvia divinorum has been used for medical treatments of gastrointestinal disorders. Here, we evaluated the effect of a standardized extract from the leaves of Salvia divinorum (SDE) and of its active ingredient salvinorin A on motility in vivo, both in physiological states and during croton oil‐induced intestinal inflammation. SDE (1–100 mg kg−1) significantly inhibited motility only in inflamed, but not in control, mice. In control mice, salvinorin A (0.01–10 mg kg−1) significantly inhibited motility only at the highest doses tested (3 and 10 mg kg−1) and this effect was not counteracted by naloxone or by the κ‐opioid receptor (KOR) antagonist nor‐binaltorphimine. Inflammation significantly increased the potency of salvinorin A (but not of the KOR agonist U‐50488) in reducing motility. The inhibitory effects of both salvinorin A and U‐50488 in inflamed mice were counteracted by naloxone or by nor‐binaltorphimine. We conclude that salvinorin A may reduce motility through activation of different targets. In physiological states, salvinorin A, at high doses, inhibited motility through a non‐KOR mediated mechanism. Gut inflammation increased the potency of salvinorin A; this effect was mediated by KOR, but it was not shared by U‐50488, thus suggesting that salvinorin A may have target(s) other than KOR in the inflamed gut.