steiny@scc.UUCP (Don Steiny) (04/04/85)
*** The herbal stimulant tablets that are proliforating at health food stores are really a kind of speed. The principle ingredient is "Ma Huang" Ma Huang is a variety of the genus "Ephedria". These plants containe "ephedrin", a chemical that is closely related to dexidrine. Ephedrin is used in Western medicine (and Chinese) for treatment of asthma. Some I have seen are "Express", and "Chi Power." Ephedirn is probably the "soma" of ancient times. -- scc!steiny Don Steiny - Personetics @ (408) 425-0382 ihnp4!pesnta -\ 109 Torrey Pine Terr. ucbvax!twg --> scc!steiny Santa Cruz, Calif. 95060 fortune!idsvax -/
jcp@osiris.UUCP (Jody Patilla) (04/05/85)
> The principle ingredient is "Ma Huang" > Ma Huang is a variety of the genus "Ephedria". > These plants containe "ephedrin", a chemical that > is closely related to dexidrine. Ephedrin is used in > Western medicine (and Chinese) for treatment of asthma. > Ephedra is a bush the leaves and bark of which have been used for millenia in traditional Chinese medicine. It was "discovered" by Westerners in this century, and used to create the drug ephedrine. The synthetic analog of ephedrine is pseudo-ephedrine, commonly sold under the brand name Sudafed. If Sudafed gives you a buzz, then Ma Huang probably will too. -- jcpatilla "'Get stuffed !', the Harlequin replied ..."
sdyer@bbnccv.UUCP (Steve Dyer) (04/06/85)
l-ephedrine and d-pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) are optical isomers of
each other, there being two chiral carbon atoms in the ephedrine
molecule. The differences, if any, between the two drugs are rather
poorly characterized in most pharmacology textbooks, although pseudo-
ephedrine seems to be more popular these days as a component of most
OTC cold/allergy nostrums, perhaps because of Burroughs-Wellcome's
successful merchandizing of the drug under the trade name "Sudafed."
Ephedrine, however, languishes unpatented and unpromoted, an old
drug unsuited to big profits.
Either of these drugs will provide a mild bit of central stimulation,
although unlike amphetamine, it is associated with significant
peripheral effects (raised BP, vasoconstriction, bronchodilation).
It is interesting to note that a single oxygen atom differentiates
ephedrine from methamphetamine (a hydroxyl "OH" group in place of
a hydrogen atom.)
Another "herbal stimulant" being foisted upon the naive-but-earnest
food cultists is "guarana", a tropical plant whose active ingredient
turns out to be caffeine! Only recently have health-food distributors
been required to identify that their guarana preparations contain
caffeine, undoubtedly a surprise to those who used to scorn coffee
and turned to something more "herbal."
--
/Steve Dyer
{decvax,linus,ima,ihnp4}!bbncca!sdyer
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