Piper methysticum Piperaceae

This next example involves the well-known plant kawa. A psychoactive beverage made from the roots of this plant is used widely in the islands of the southwestern Pacific Ocean either for ritualistic or routine consumption. Kava is the common name for Piper methysticum Forst. f. from which several compounds responsible for the pharmacological activity have been isolated and identified. Representative structures of the family of styrylpyrones, commonly called kavalactones, are given in Fig. 6.6. The compounds are based upon a carbon skeleton consisting of a styryl function (C C ) attached to a six-membered lactone ring. The fundamental compound, kawain, is shown as structure [547]. Structural variants include 

Lebot and Levesque s 1989 work was based upon an exhaustive collection of plant material. Piper wichmannii was obtained from Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu, which comprises its natural range. Piper methysti-cum was collected from cultivated plots on three islands representing Micronesia, eight representing Melanesia, and 24 from Polynesia. In all, more than 240 individual plant acquisitions were subjected to chemical and morphological analysis. 

---

Cox, P.A and L. O Rourke 1987. Kava Piper methysticum, Piperaceae) Economic Botany 452-454. 

Kava kava. Piper methysticum (Piperaceae), is a large shrub widely cultivated in Oceania. The dried rhizome and root are used in preparation of an intoxicating beverage. Kava contains 5-10% resin, made up of lactones known as kava pyrones—mainly kavain and methystidn. 

KAVA KAVA -- Piper methysticum. Family Piperaceae (Pepper family). 

Piper methysticum (kava) (Piperaceae) [rhizome, root]... 

Genista tinctoria, Glycine max, Phaseolus coccineus, Trifolium repens, Ulex europaeus (Fabaceae) Piper methysticum (kava, yaqona) (Piperaceae) [root] kava (yaqona = yangona) traditional Fiji drink Piper methysticum (kava, yaqona) (Piperaceae) [rhizome, root] Genista spp., Trifolium subterraneum,... 

Lebot, V. aad Levesque (1989) The origin and distribution of kava Piper methysticum Forst. f. and Piper wichmannii C. DC., Piperaceae) A phytochemical approach. Allertonia, 5, 223-280. 

Piper methysticum is a member of the pepper or Piperaceae family, order Piperales, class Dicotyledonae. The pepper family includes more than 2,000 species of herbs, shrubs, small trees, and woody climbers distributed throughout the tropics (Heywood, 1978). The leaves of Piperaceae usually are alternate, entire, and petiolate, with the flowers uniformly small and grouped on a dense spike. 

Piper methysticum is a robust, fairly succulent, well-branching, perennial shrub or bush which adopts an erect posture with an upright, ramifying stem (Figure 1.1 and Figure 4.1) resembling other Piperaceae. When cultivated, the plant is usually harvested when it is 2-3 m tall, but in warm and humid conditions and with enough... 

Dutta, C.P., Ray, L.P.K., Chatterjee, A. and Roy, D.N. (1976) Studies on the genus Piper. V. Chemical investigation of Piper methysticum Forst. (Piperaceae). Structure and synthesis of flavokawain-C.of Indian Chemical Society, 53, 1194-1197. 

Dentali, S.J. 1997. Herb safety review Kava, Piper methysticum Forsterf. (Piperaceae). Boulder, CO Herb Research Foundation. 

Several representatives of the genus Piper (Piperaceae) are of economic importance. Some of these plants [e.g.. Piper nigrum (black pepper)] include alkaloids that are partially responsible for the desirable pungent and preservative properties of the plant. Other species are P. hetle (widely used as a masticatory), P. methysticum (widely used in the South Pacific as a soporific drug), and P. guineense (ashanti pepper). Most of these plants contain compounds that combine phenylpropanoid compounds see Chapter 8) and pyr-... 

---