Exploration of Cannabinoid and Opioid Agents from Plants Used in Traditional Medicine

Author

John Fitzpatrick, University of Mississippi. Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College

Date of Award

2015

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Department

Biomolecular Sciences

First Advisor

Stephen Cutler

Relational Format

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

Ten plants, with known medicinal uses, were gathered to study for their possible production of secondary metabolites that act as opioid and cannabinoid agents. All plants were subjected to in vitro bioassays testing for their affinity for the opioid and cannabinoid receptors. Banisteriopsis caapi extracts displayed the greatest affinity for both opioid and cannabinoid receptors. B. caapi extracts underwent column fractionation yielding fractions that were subjected to further in vitro studies. We discovered that the ethanolic extract of this plant (foliage) binds to all three opioid receptors (µ, κ and δ) and cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) with values ranging from 60-90% displacement of the respective radioligands for these receptors. Based on the polarity, we observed that the highest percent of radioligand displacement was noted in the 50:50 hexanes:ethyl acetate fraction on CB1, CB2 and δ-opioid receptors with values of 86.0, 86.9 and 79.3, respectively.

Recommended Citation

Fitzpatrick, John, "Exploration of Cannabinoid and Opioid Agents from Plants Used in Traditional Medicine" (2015). Honors Theses. 457.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/457

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