Seven previously unknown neo-clerodane diterpenes—salvidivins A–D, salvinorins H and I, and divinatorin F—along with eight known compounds, were isolated from the hallucinogenic plant Salvia divinorum. Chemical structures of the new compounds were determined using two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. These findings expand the known chemical diversity of this plant, which is of interest for its psychoactive properties.
A monoclonal antibody was created that recognizes salvinorin A, the main psychoactive compound in Salvia divinorum, and an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA) was developed to detect salvinorins. The assay's calibration range was 0.0195-0.625 μg/mL. Tests on plants from the mint family, including S. divinorum, showed the method is simple, precise, accurate, sensitive, and reliable for identifying the plant.