Plant secondary metabolites as drugs and narcotics

Alwan, Zeina Hadi Obaid; Al-Taie, Zahraa Mohammed; Abdel, Faryal Jamil; Mohsen, Liqa Yahya

doi:10.33899/berj.2024.184176

	Plant secondary metabolites as drugs and narcotics
College Of Basic Education Research Journal
Article 7, Volume 20, Issue 2.1, August 2024, Pages 157-173 PDF (1.02 M)
Document Type: Research Paper
DOI: 10.33899/berj.2024.184176
Authors
Zeina Hadi Obaid Alwan^* ; Zahraa Mohammed Al-Taie^* ; Faryal Jamil Abdel^* ; liqa Yahya Mohsen^*
University of Babylon
Abstract
The problem of drug abuse is one of the most important scourges of society in our modern era, as its spread increases day after day in many countries of the world, and what makes matters worse is the emergence of new types of drugs whose chemical composition and source are unknown. There are many types of drugs, all of which pose serious health risks, the most important of which is addiction, which is represented by many behavioral and physiological phenomena and practices that develop upon repeated use of these narcotic substances. Mostly, it leads to a strong and urgent desire and need for continuous consumption and dependence on it in daily life, despite the harmful consequences that the addict suffers from, as well as the appearance of its withdrawal symptoms. Drugs include many types, some of which are extracted naturally from plants and some of which are chemically manufactured in laboratories. Without exception, all of them pose a real danger to physical and psychological health and may often lead to death. Narcotic substances are divided according to several factors, including their effect. On humans, the severity of addiction to it, as well as its chemical composition, etc. Plants produce a wide range of secondary metabolites as a defense as they strive to survive. These secondary metabolites include many alkaloids, most of which are used as narcotic substances. These chemicals often serve to deter plant-harming herbivores or to protect against pathogens and bush damage near plant roots, as well as to mitigate the effects of plant-harming radiation. Interestingly, many of these chemical compounds have the ability to interact with the human body in specific ways, from organ failure and death to reactions that lead to useful and life-saving medications.

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