Kava (Piper methysticum) Family: Piperaceae
Piperaceae 5 genera 2000 species herbs, shrubs, trees, weedy climbers (lianas)
Leaves usually alternate, entire, petiolate flowers small, grouped on dense spike.
P. methysticum: Shrub with root stock or stump No rhizome.
Branches distinctly knobby stump knotty, thick, with holes and cracks.
Fringe roots extend out from stump
No floral reproduction: plants/flowers are sterile.Flowers, but no viable seed produced. Seed not observed in collected specimens. Most, if not all, of the plants produce only male flowers. These plants that sometimes produce female flowers lose them.
P. methysticum is probably derived from P. wichmanii and may actually be the same species.
Kava has 130 chromosomes: it is decaploid, ten sets of 13 chromosomes
Kava Distribution: Northern Papua New Guinea: multiple names Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji Polynesia (Western Yangona: Samoa, Tonga kava Micronesia, seka, sakau. 118 named varieties, 80 of them in Vanuatu. Variations are morphological habit: erect, normal, prostrate; stem color; internode markings; leaf color; pubescences.
Micronesian sakau was introduced either directly from Vanuatu, or via Baluan in Admiralty islands off north coast of Papua New Guinea (they are also stone powders of their sakau)
Six major kavalactones oil soluble (not water soluble) organic compounds containing oxygen.
No one chemical compound generates the effects: all of the major lactones are required.
| Compound | Absorption/elimination | Effects | Side-effects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dihydrokavain (DHK) | Fast | Sleepiness, muscle relaxant, analgesic, anti-mycotic | Nausea |
| Dihydromethysticin (DHM) | Slow | Sleepiness, muscle relaxant, analgesic | Nausea |
| Kavain | Fast | Psychoactive, limited antibacterial, mild local anesthetic ("strong" sakau numbs lips due to high kavain) | |
| Methysticin | Slow | Sleepiness, muscle relaxant | |
| Yangonin | |||
| Demethoxy-yangonin |
Potentiation of barbituric narcosis "sleepiness": DHK, DHM. Duration: dependent on DHM, slow to absorb, slow to eliminate. But… super strong Vanuatan"tudei" induces nausea due to DHK and DHM.
Analgesic effects: due to DHK, DHM (pain killing)
Local anesthesia: Due to kava in can paralyze peripheral nerves in high doses (injection)
Anticonvulsive & muscle relaxant . DHM, DHK. affect muscle contractibility directly, not by blocking transmissions from CNS. May interfere with ionic mechanisms.
This interference might explain in part damage to peak athletic performance in the days subsequent to a sakau session.
Antimycotic activity: Kavain has limited antibacterial capacity against some forms of gonococcus bacteria DHK is active against the fungus Aspergillus niger.
Absorption: DHK and kavain cross blood brain barrier
Lactones: are organic resins. Not soluble in water. And are contained in the cells. Hence crushing of the root stock required.
Other effects
Pupil dilation and consequent light sensitivity (photophobia)
diplopia (double vision)
Location of lactones, root stock, 5.28%
lateral roots: 10.44%
-separated in Hawaii processing.
| Pohnpei | Vanuatu high chief mix |
|---|---|
| DHK | Kavain |
| Kavain | DHK |
| DHM | Methysticin |
| Methysticin | Demethoxy-yangonin |
| Demethoxy-yangonin | Yangonin |
| Yangonin | DHM |
Kava lactone concentrations peaks after 18 months and remains stable as a percentage of plant content as biomass increases. Sun increases lactone production.
year-round moisture beneficial
prefers dry roots: grows well in mounds or in tree trunks yield strong varieties. Hates "wet roots" hence hillside preference.
Some cultural illnesses caused by sorcery performed with various leaves including kava exist in Vanuatu. Other local plants used in mixture to combat this .
kava used to control asthma
Kava aides female milk production hot leaves used for skin diseases.
Used formerly to treat gonorrhea
Used to combat urinary tract problems
Fish spine injury treatment: dried kava root is burned dry coconut shell placed over embers, smoke escaped from opened eyes and allowed to flow over wound.
Previously used to treat gonorrhea.