Learning & Education
Honokiol is a natural compound derived from the bark and seed cones of the Magnolia tree. It has a long history of use in traditional medicine, particularly in East Asia. It has gained significant attention in recent years due to its potential therapeutic properties, especially as an allosteric modulator of GABA receptors.
Imagine a beautiful mushroom. Do you see a dome-shaped cap atop a slender stem? Visualize the cap’s color. Is it, perhaps, a deep red adorned with white dots?
If so, you have envisioned the most commonly portrayed mushroom in mainstream culture Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric.
Adenosine is a naturally occurring compound in the body that plays a crucial role in regulating sleep. It is a neurotransmitter that builds up in the brain throughout the day and promotes sleepiness. Caffeine, a widely consumed stimulant, works by blocking the effects of adenosine.
5-hydroxytryptophan, or 5-HTP for short, is the intermediate metabolite of the essential amino acid tryptophan in the process of serotonin biosynthesis [1]. That is to say, it is an immediate precursor to serotonin [1,2]. 5-HTP is both a drug and a natural component of some dietary supplements. It is produced from tryptophan (an essential amino acid that we must obtain from food) by an enzyme called tryptophan hydroxylase [3].
Cordyceps is a genus of fungus that includes more than 500 described species. The name Cordyceps originates from the combination of two words: Kordyle, meaning “club” in Greek; and the stem ceps, meaning “head” in Latin. These fungi have a worldwide distribution and are prevalent in humid temperate and tropical forests, acting as endoparasites that infect insects, other arthropods, and even other fungi [1].
Cannabis has historically been used for a wide range of purposes, such as industrial, ornamental, and pharmaceutical applications [1,2]. In the modern world, marijuana use is permitted in some jurisdictions to help address the nausea caused by chemotherapy, anorexia in patients with AIDS, and to manage pain. It is also used recreationally to treat anxiety, insomnia, to stimulate an appetite, to simply get “high,” and much more.