Painkiller Found in Plants may not be Natural After All

Article: Painkiller Found in Plants may not be Natural After All

Date: September 18, 2014

By:Kiante Walker

In 2013, the opioid painkiller, tramadol, which was thought to be synthetic, was found to be produced by the African herb Nauclea latifolia.

 

Recently, researchers from Germany and Cameroon conclude that the tramadol was actually a result of soil contamination by the urine and feces of the farmers and their animals. 

Tramadol is a narcotic-like painkiller used to treat moderate to severe pain. It should not be mixed with alcohol or any other sedative. It can become addictive if taken more than the prescribed amount or even if it’s taken at regular doses. There are several side effects to tramadol including, but not limited to, weakness, nervousness, mood swings, heartburn, hallucinations, lack of coordination, and loss of consciousness. 

The plant that it was thought to come from grows widely in Cameroon and other neighboring countries. Scientists analyzed the root and found up to 0.4% +cis-2-[(dimethylamino)methyl]-1-(3-methoxyphenyl)cyclohexanol, also known as tramadol. This was the first time that a drug had been found in a plant in significant concentrations after being synthesized in a lab. 

German Chemist, Michael Speiteller, thought it was strange that he and his reasearchers could only trace the tramadol in the root, not the actual plant or in samples from southern Cameroon. Locals told researchers that tramadol is cheaply available from local markets in northern Cameroon. The farmers consume and feed the drug to their cattle, in much higher than recommended doses, because it helps the farmers to work in temperatures over 40 ° C, or 104° F. This is not practiced in southern Cameroon, which explains why Tramadol couldn’t be found in plants in that portion of the country.

Links:

http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/2014/09/painkiller-tramadol-found-plants-may-not-be-natural-after-all

http://www.drugs.com/tramadol.html