Narcissus and Daffodil

Table 6.4 Continued
Alkaloid Activity References
* Combines both physostigmine
and neostigmine properties:
* Like physostigmine, reverses
opioid-induced respiratory
depression, but not the
concomitant analgesia
* Like neostigmine,
antagonizes muscle paralysis
induced by d-tubocurarine,
also antagonizes the ganglionic
blockade and increases
the contraction response
* As hydrobromide has shown
several central and peripheral
effects:
* Has central effects such as
antagonism of the respiratory
depressant effect of
morphine-like compounds
* Is capable of penetrating the
blood-brain barrier and it is
used in the treatment of the
central effects of scopolamine
(hyoscine) intoxication.
It has certain advantages over
physotigmine for this purpose
* Shortens REM latency,
increases REM density, and
reduces slow wave sleep
* Is able to reverse the central
anticholinergic syndrome
* used for its anticholinesterase
activity in the treatment of
disturbances in the peripheral
sympathetic synaptic
transmission
* Reverses the neuromuscular
blocking effect of curare-type
muscle relaxants and has been
used safely in anaesthesia
(postsurgery) and in the
treatment of various
neurologic disorders (pareses,
paralysis of different origins,
myasthenia gravis, progressive
muscular dystrophy, etc.)
* Affects the contraction of
skeletal muscle not only at the
level of neuromuscular
junction, but also by enhancing
the efferent impulses as a result
of the reflexive excitation
centre in the spinal cord
Svensson and Nordberg, 1997
Sweeney et al., 1988
Sweeney et al., 1989
Thomsen and Kewitz, 1990
Vigneau et al., 1984
Weniger et al., 1995
Westra et al., 1986
Zakirov and Umarova, 1971