Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    Menu
    Natural Sciences
    Health
    History & Humanities
    Space & Astronomy
    Technology
    Culture
    Resources
    Natural Sciences

    Physics

    • Matter and Energy
    • Quantum Mechanics
    • Thermodynamics

    Chemistry

    • Periodic Table
    • Applied Chemistry
    • Materials
    • Physical Chemistry

    Biology

    • Anatomy
    • Biochemistry
    • Ecology
    • Genetics
    • Microbiology
    • Plants and Fungi

    Geology and Paleontology

    • Planet Earth
    • Earth Dynamics
    • Rocks and Minerals
    • Volcanoes
    • Dinosaurs
    • Fossils

    Animals

    • Mammals
    • Birds
    • Fish
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians
    • Invertebrates
    • Pets
    • Conservation
    • Animals Facts

    Climate and Weather

    • Climate Change
    • Weather and Atmosphere

    Geography

    Mathematics

    Health
    • Drugs
    • Diseases and Conditions
    • Human Body
    • Mind and Brain
    • Food and Nutrition
    • Wellness
    History & Humanities
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Economics
    • History
    • People
    • Sociology
    Space & Astronomy
    • The Solar System
    • The Sun
    • The Moon
    • Planets
    • Asteroids, Meteors and Comets
    • Astronomy
    • Astrophysics
    • Cosmology
    • Exoplanets and Alien Life
    • Spaceflight and Exploration
    Technology
    • Computer Science & IT
    • Engineering
    • Inventions
    • Sustainability
    • Renewable Energy
    • Green Living
    Culture
    • Culture and Society
    • Bizarre Stories
    • Lifestyle
    • Art and Music
    • Gaming
    • Books
    • Movies and Shows
    Resources
    • How To
    • Science Careers
    • Metascience
    • Fringe Science
    • Science Experiments
    • School and Study
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Health → Mind & Brain

Natural painkiller found in human spit is six times more powerful than morphine

Dragos Mitrica by Dragos Mitrica
July 15, 2014
in Health, Mind & Brain, News

saliva
Photo: MIT

A new painkiller chemical derived from human spit has proven to be up to six times more potent than morphine when tested on rats in a laboratory setting. While painkillers have been thoroughly researched for decades, the industry alone amounting to billions of dollars every year, it’s been rather difficult for scientists to find natural painkiller. This latest finding might become nothing less of a hidden gem for pharmaceutics if its passes clinical trials.

Synthetic compounds do their job well, but are often accompanied by undesirable side effects. Because they’re found naturally in the body, natural painkillers have very few or any side effects and their use avoids one of the biggest pitfalls following painkiller drugs use: addiction and tolerance.

Catherine Rougeot of the Pasteur Institute in Paris, France, and her colleagues, previously identified a naturally occurring painkiller called sialorphin in rats. They wondered if anything similar could be found for humans, and after analyzing countless saliva samples they ran across opiorphin. The substance works its magic by reventing the breakdown of chemicals called enkephalins, which in turn activate opiate receptors that block pain signals from reaching the brain. So does this mean that a big, wet kiss sends the pain away? Uhmno.

Oddly enough, according Alistair Corbett, a specialist on opioids at Glasgow Caledonian University, opiorphin doesn’t have a painkilling role in the body, instead it most likely plays a role in protecting chemicals in the body from being broken down, he says. This means its use could be followed by unwanted side effects, since the substance is unlikely to be specific enough to protect the breakdown of enkephalins alone.

Tests on rats have proven to be promising, however. When opiorphin drugged rats were given a painful injection, they exhibited diminished pain responses, such as licking the injected paw. The rats also showed little stress when walking a pin-covered surface, which normally should have prompted a pain response.

“Inhibiting this enzyme would be a good target for drugs. But nobody has looked for a natural inhibitor,” Rougeot says.

More research into opiorphins and clinical trials will shed light on how effective the substance could be for human use.

The report was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Was this helpful?


Thanks for your feedback!

Related posts:
  1. Microglia activity makes morphine less effective as a painkiller for women
  2. Chameleons use super saliva 400 times stickier than human spit to capture prey
  3. Powerful new painkiller with no side effects could be just one year away
  4. Meditation stronger than morphine and drugs
  5. In the long run, morphine might actually cause more pain than it alleviates

ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • Reviews
  • More
  • About Us

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

Don’t you want to get smarter every day?

YES, sign me up!

Over 35,000 subscribers can’t be wrong. Don’t worry, we never spam. By signing up you agree to our privacy policy.

✕
ZME Science News

FREE
VIEW