property | value |
---|---|
Common names | Salvia, Salvia divinorum, Diviner’s Sage, Ska María Pastora, Seer’s Sage, Sally |
Substitutive name | Salvinorin A |
Systematic name | methyl (2S,4aR,6aR,7R,9S,10aS,10bR)-9-(acetyloxy)-2-(furan-3-yl)-6a,10b-dimethyl-4,10-dioxododecahydro-2H-benzo[f]isochromene-7-carboxylate |
salvinorin a is the main active psychoactive molecule within salvia divinorum, a mexican plant which has a long history of use as an entheogen by indigenous mazatec shamans. it is structurally distinct from other naturally occurring hallucinogens (such as dmt, psilocin and mescaline) because it contains no nitrogen atoms, making it a terpenoid and not an alkaloid as is the norm. this means it cannot be rendered as a salt.
it also differs in subjective experience compared to other hallucinogens, and has been described as an atypical psychedelic although this formal classification is debatable.
chemistry
salvinorin a is a neoclerodane molecule, an oxygenated cyclic diterpenoid. it contains four isoprene groups bound to its oxygenated polycyclic rings. salvinorin a is unique as it is not an alkaloid; it contains no nitrogen atoms unlike almost all known classical, natural, or synthetic hallucinogens.
pharmacology
salvinorin a is a potent κ-opioid receptor agonist. it does not have any effect on the 5-ht2a receptor, the receptor targeted by most psychedelic substances, nor does it act as an nmda receptor antagonist as dissociatives do. the unique structure of salvinorin a lacks features commonly associated with opioid ligand binding such as a guaternary carbon atom linked to a tertiary amine group by two other carbon atoms. unlike traditional opioid agonists, salvinorin a targets the κ-opioid receptor rather than the μ-opioid receptor.
salvinorin a also acts as a potent agonist at d2 receptors, which may be partially responsible for its hallucinogenic effects.
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