Depressant Effects of Salvia divinorum Involve Disruption of Physiological Sleep.
Phytotherapy research : PTR July 1, 2016 María Eva González-Trujano, Fernando Brindis, Edith López-ruiz et al. 10 citations
Extracts of the herb Salvia divinorum produce sedative-like effects in mice and rats, altering normal sleep patterns. In mice, non-polar, medium polar, and polar extracts all reduced activity, with the medium polar extract showing the strongest effects. In rats, the medium polar extract, which contains salvinorins, fragmented sleep by decreasing rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and increasing quiet wakefulness at doses of 10 and 100 mg/kg. These findings indicate that S. divinorum has depressant properties that disrupt physiological sleep architecture, supporting its traditional use as a tranquilizer but raising questions about its safety for sleep.