Discriminative-stimulus and time-course effects of kava-kava (Piper methysticum) in rats

Kava is a widely available and used herbal medicine that is not regulated in many countries. There are many questions concerning kava's stimulus properties, potential for therapeutic use, and potential for abuse. Although there is evidence that kava may possess some anxiolytic properties, kava's mechanism of action and the extent to which it may serve as an alternative to pharmaceutical anxiolytics are not fully known. The current study was designed to evaluate whether kava shares discriminative-stimulus properties with the anxiolytic chlordiazepoxide (CDP). Effects of different doses of kava extract were evaluated in two groups of rats trained to discriminate either a high or low training dose of CDP (i.p.). In order to assess time-course effects, two tests were conducted/session at 60 (Test One) and 90 (Test Two) min following oral administration of kava, CDP, or d-amphetamine. Dose-dependent substitution of CDP was found in both training groups in both tests. Kava (560 mg/kg, p.o.) occasioned responding indicative of partial substitution in both groups during Test One and only the low-dose group during Test Two. Partial substitution of kava extract for CDP suggests that the herbal compound may share a mechanism of action similar to CDP, but is less potent.