Lobeline cholinergic

Lobeline (3), extracted from Lobelia inflate, interacts with the nicotinic receptor and could also be exploited to influence cholinergic function in AD. Other alkaloids such as sophoramine (4) and cytisine (5), found in members of the Leguminosae, also have nicotinic agonistic properties. ... 

Nicotiana tabacum, and lobeline, present in the dried leaves and tops of the herb, Lobelia inflata (13). Both nicotine and lobeline act as agonists on a specific type of acetylcholine receptor, the nicotinic cholinergic receptor. In mammals, nicotinic cholinergic receptors mediate cholinergic neurotransmission in skeletal muscles, autonomic ganglia, and the central nervous system. At these sites nicotine s action has two phases, excitation and depression. Insect central nervous tissues are rich in nicotinic cholinergic receptors (cf. 14), but their role in behavior is not well understood. 

The affinity of MLA for the nicotinic receptor in the cockroach nerve cord also appeared to be rather less than that for the housefly head receptor, suggesting that there might be different subclasses of insect receptor. This theory was proposed recently by Battersby and Hall (13), who showed that lobeline, another plant-derived cholinergic ligand, had a higher affinity for the cockroach receptor than for the housefly head receptor. 

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