ISSN:
1433-8491
Keywords:
Key words Benzodiazepines
;
Benzodiazepine receptor ligands
;
Natural products
;
Neurotransmitters
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract Naturally occurring benzodiazepines (BZDs) were first detected in mammalian tissues in 1986. They comprise a variety of 1,4-benzodiazepines corresponding to drugs commercially available for the treatment of anxiety disorders, sleep disturbances and epileptic seizures. Several biosynthetic pathways leading to the formation of BZDs are currently being discussed and have led to the proposition of possible precursor molecules. For years, the identification of naturally occurring BZDs in mammalian organisms was mostly confined to post mortem CNS material for sensitivity reasons. While radioimmunoassay and radioreceptorassay techniques have been tentatively applied to quantitations of genuine BZDs from human milk and cerebrospinal fluid, accurate measurements in peripheral blood have only recently become accessible, e.g., by gas chromatography/selcected ion monitoring-mass spectrometry (GC/SIM-MS). This review summarizes existing evidence of benzodiazepines' occurrence in nature and discusses implications for neuropsychiatric disorders.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s004060070024
Permalink
