Disease relevance of Kava

• The plant or substance description, clinical indications, evidence of therapeutic efficacy, mechanisms of therapeutic actions, dosages and regimens, different commercially available preparations, and adverse effects and toxicities are described for melatonin, St John's wort, valerian, and kava-kava [1].

High impact information on Kava

• Heavy chronic consumption of kava (Piper methysticum) is associated with a pellagroid dermopathy that has been attributed to niacin deficiency [2].
• Kava when used with alprazolam has resulted in coma [3].
• Kava produced significant reductions (approximately 40%) in CYP2E1 only (difference, -0.192; 95% CI, -0.325 to -0.060) [4].
• Kava (Piper methysticum) increases 'off' periods in Parkinson patients taking levodopa and can cause a semicomatose state when given concomitantly with alprazolam [5].
• The search terms used were kava, kawa, kavain, Piper methysticum, and Rauschpfeffer (German term for Piper methysticum) [6].

Biological context of Kava

• CONCLUSIONS: Kava extracts produce significant murine anxiolytic-like behavioral changes and sedation that are not mediated through the benzodiazepine binding site on the GABA(A) receptor complex [7].
• Twelve healthy volunteers were tested in a double-blind crossover study to assess the effects of oxazepam and an extract of kava roots (Piper methysticum) on behavior and event-related potentials (ERPs) in a recognition memory task [8].

Anatomical context of Kava

• Effects of kava (Kava-kava, 'Awa, Yaqona, Piper methysticum) on c-DNA-expressed cytochrome P450 enzymes and human cryopreserved hepatocytes [9].

Associations of Kava with chemical compounds

• Flumazenil caused no significant effect on the changes in delta activity induced by both kava-kava extract and flunitrazepam [10].
• Although the effects of flunitrazepam were antagonized by the benzodiazepine receptor antagonist flumazenil, the effect of kava-kava extract was not antagonized by flumazenil [10].
• Kava and dopamine antagonism [11].
• Kavapyrone enriched extract from Piper methysticum as modulator of the GABA binding site in different regions of rat brain [12].
• Further warnings were issued for cod liver/fish oil, evening primrose oil, gingko, garlic, ginseng, kava kava and beta-carotene [13].

Gene context of Kava

• Such results indicate that kava-kava required PXR to mediate CYP3A4 induction [14].
• Kava extract and kavalactones (< or =9 microM) modestly stimulated P-glycoprotein ATPase activities [15].
• Inhibition of platelet MAO-B by kava pyrone-enriched extract from Piper methysticum Forster (kava-kava) [16].
• Novel compounds from Piper methysticum Forst (Kava Kava) roots and their effect on cyclooxygenase enzyme [17].
• Kava on the other hand showed a slightly increased recognition rate and a larger ERP difference between old and new words [8].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of Kava

• Three kava lactone constituents of Piper methysticum, namely, kawain, methysticin and desmethoxyyangonin, have been separated and identified by reversed-phase HPLC using superheated deuterium oxide as the mobile phase and on-line 1H-NMR detection [18].
• Forster (kava-kava) and extracts obtained by aqueous acetone or aqueous methanol as well as supercritical fluid extraction are reviewed [19].

References