Kava, the plant we’ve come to know and love, is turning out to be a deeper mystery than we had first imagined. The actions of this plant are complex, and continue to be researched. Of the 6 kavalactones commonly found in kava in the most abundance, yangonin will be of interest for today.
What is yangonin? Yangonin (4-Methoxy-6-[(E)-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethenyl]pyran-2-one) is one of the six major kavalactones found in the kava plant [1]. Yangonin has been found to have several functions among many likely unknown functions. One is that yangonin has been shown to exert a protective effect on cholestasis, or when the flow of bile from the liver is reduced or blocked. Yangonin has a regulative effect on hepatic genes which contribute to the increased transport and metabolism of toxic bile acids, as well as the decreased synthesis of bile acids [3]. Yangonin has been shown to decrease dopamine levels in the brain [4]. Another reported effect is that yangonin has a measurable affinity for the cannabinoid receptor CB1. This is the same receptor that is activated heavily by Δ9-THC, the primary active chemical in cannabis. Yangonin has about 170 times less affinity for the CB1 receptor when compared to THC [2]. The effect, if present, will be slight and this could lend evidence toward the thought that yangonin may possibly contribute to kavas anxiolytic effect in this manner.
[1]Yangonin. (2020, December 02). Retrieved December 23, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangonin
[2]Ligresti A, Villano R, Allarà M, Ujváry I, Di Marzo V. Kavalactones and the endocannabinoid system: the plant-derived yangonin is a novel CB₁ receptor ligand. Pharmacol Res. 2012 Aug;66(2):163-9. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2012.04.003. Epub 2012 Apr 14. PMID: 22525682.
[3]Kong, Y., Gao, X., Wang, C., Ning, C., Liu, K., Liu, Z., . . . Meng, Q. (2018). Protective effects of yangonin from an edible botanical Kava against lithocholic acid-induced cholestasis and hepatotoxicity. European Journal of Pharmacology, 824, 64-71. doi:10.1016/j.ejphar.2018.02.002
[4]Baum SS, Hill R, Rommelspacher H. Effect of kava extract and individual kavapyrones on neurotransmitter levels in the nucleus accumbens of rats. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 1998 Oct;22(7):1105-20. doi: 10.1016/s0278-5846(98)00062-1. PMID: 9829291.
What is yangonin? Yangonin (4-Methoxy-6-[(E)-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethenyl]pyran-2-one) is one of the six major kavalactones found in the kava plant [1]. Yangonin has been found to have several functions among many likely unknown functions. One is that yangonin has been shown to exert a protective effect on cholestasis, or when the flow of bile from the liver is reduced or blocked. Yangonin has a regulative effect on hepatic genes which contribute to the increased transport and metabolism of toxic bile acids, as well as the decreased synthesis of bile acids [3]. Yangonin has been shown to decrease dopamine levels in the brain [4]. Another reported effect is that yangonin has a measurable affinity for the cannabinoid receptor CB1. This is the same receptor that is activated heavily by Δ9-THC, the primary active chemical in cannabis. Yangonin has about 170 times less affinity for the CB1 receptor when compared to THC [2]. The effect, if present, will be slight and this could lend evidence toward the thought that yangonin may possibly contribute to kavas anxiolytic effect in this manner.
[1]Yangonin. (2020, December 02). Retrieved December 23, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangonin
[2]Ligresti A, Villano R, Allarà M, Ujváry I, Di Marzo V. Kavalactones and the endocannabinoid system: the plant-derived yangonin is a novel CB₁ receptor ligand. Pharmacol Res. 2012 Aug;66(2):163-9. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2012.04.003. Epub 2012 Apr 14. PMID: 22525682.
[3]Kong, Y., Gao, X., Wang, C., Ning, C., Liu, K., Liu, Z., . . . Meng, Q. (2018). Protective effects of yangonin from an edible botanical Kava against lithocholic acid-induced cholestasis and hepatotoxicity. European Journal of Pharmacology, 824, 64-71. doi:10.1016/j.ejphar.2018.02.002
[4]Baum SS, Hill R, Rommelspacher H. Effect of kava extract and individual kavapyrones on neurotransmitter levels in the nucleus accumbens of rats. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 1998 Oct;22(7):1105-20. doi: 10.1016/s0278-5846(98)00062-1. PMID: 9829291.