Opioid Activity /Standardization of Vitex agnus-castus

描述（由申请人提供）：本研究的重点是研究用于治疗经前期综合征的牡荆子（Vitex agnus-castus L.）提取物中阿片活性的分子机制。临床上显示，蔓越莓提取物可能通过与阿片受体结合来改善经前症候群的症状。因此，研究牡荆通过阿片活性缓解经前症候群症状似乎是谨慎的。这项培训补助金的目的是教育申请人掌握各种鉴定和鉴定技术，这些技术在植物补充剂领域特别有用。这些技术将用于确定牡荆果的阿片活性机制，并将其与相关的牡荆果进行比较，这些牡荆果经常被发现是蔓越橘制剂中的常见掺假物，包括以下内容：1)使用基于细胞的阿片测定方法，通过生物测定引导分离鉴定与阿片受体结合的化合物。2)测定该化合物是否激活或抑制阿片受体。3)对牡荆与其他三种最常被发现为污染物的牡荆进行植物学、化学和生物学比较的正式文献。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The focus of this research is the investigation of molecular mechanisms of opioid activity in an extract of Vitex agnus-castus L. (Chasteberry), used to treat premenstrual syndrome. Chasteberry extract has been shown clinically to improve symptoms of PMS, possibly through binding to opioid receptors. Therefore, it seems prudent to investigate Vitex agnus-castus for relief of PMS symptoms through opioid activity. The purpose of this training grant is to educate the applicant in various identification and characterization techniques, which have particular usefulness in the field of botanical supplements. These techniques will be applied to determine the mechanism of opioid activity for Vitex agnus-castus and compare it to related Vitex species that are often found as common adulterants in a preparation of Chasteberry and will include the following: 1) Identification of the compound(s) that bind to opioid receptors through bioassay-guided fractionation using a cell-based opioid assay. 2) Determination if this compound activates or inhibits opioid receptors. 3) Formal documentation of a botanical, chemical, and biological comparison of Vitex agnus castus to three other species of Vitex that are most commonly found as contaminants.