97
III
Plant-Derived Drugs:
Their Function in
Plants and Potential
Biotechnological Use
Plants are a rich source of secondary metabolites, many of which affect
important human receptors. Therefore, plants containing these metabolites have long been used for medicinal purposes and as source for
recreational drugs. While plants such as poppy harbour only few,
closely related compounds of interest, other plants contain whole sets
of different metabolites. These are derived from various and sometimes
uncommon pathways and they act on a large set of different receptors.
Also, many compounds can affect more than one receptor. In this
chapter, we describe representative compounds and their main plant
sources for the classes of receptors introduced in 7 Chap. 2. Thus, in line
with 7 Chap. 2, cannabis, muscarine and atropine, caffeine, cocaine,
opiates, nicotine, curare, thujone, strychnine and several other drugs
will be covered in more detail. Natural sources of these drugs from
various plants will be described, and in the – unfortunately rare – cases,
where the role of these drugs in the natural plant environment is
known, this function will be elaborated on.
Contents
Chapter 7
Plant-Derived Drugs Affecting GPRCs – 99
Chapter 8
Plant-Derived Drugs Affecting Ion Channels – 121
III
Plant-Derived Drugs:
Their Function in
Plants and Potential
Biotechnological Use
Plants are a rich source of secondary metabolites, many of which affect
important human receptors. Therefore, plants containing these metabolites have long been used for medicinal purposes and as source for
recreational drugs. While plants such as poppy harbour only few,
closely related compounds of interest, other plants contain whole sets
of different metabolites. These are derived from various and sometimes
uncommon pathways and they act on a large set of different receptors.
Also, many compounds can affect more than one receptor. In this
chapter, we describe representative compounds and their main plant
sources for the classes of receptors introduced in 7 Chap. 2. Thus, in line
with 7 Chap. 2, cannabis, muscarine and atropine, caffeine, cocaine,
opiates, nicotine, curare, thujone, strychnine and several other drugs
will be covered in more detail. Natural sources of these drugs from
various plants will be described, and in the – unfortunately rare – cases,
where the role of these drugs in the natural plant environment is
known, this function will be elaborated on.
Contents
Chapter 7
Plant-Derived Drugs Affecting GPRCs – 99
Chapter 8
Plant-Derived Drugs Affecting Ion Channels – 121