Plant derivatives in the treatment of alcohol dependency.
Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior June 1, 2003 Amir H Rezvani, David H Overstreet, Marina Perfumi et al. 95 citations
A review of studies in alcohol-preferring rats shows that extracts from St. John's wort, kudzu, and ibogaine, as well as purified compounds from these plants (puerarin, daidzin, daidzein, and ibogaine analogs), dose-dependently reduce alcohol intake after a single dose, with minimal effects on food intake. Puerarin and St. John's wort extract also remain effective with repeated dosing. The compounds appear to work by modulating multiple brain systems involved in drinking, though their exact mechanisms are not fully understood. Whether these compounds become treatments for alcoholism depends on future clinical trials.