Tramadol--a true natural product?

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Environmental Science
• Ethnobotany

Background:

• Tramadol is a widely used synthetic analgesic for moderate to severe pain.
• Recent findings indicated the presence of tramadol in the roots of Nauclea latifolia, a Cameroonian medicinal plant.
• The origin of tramadol in N. latifolia remained unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the source of tramadol detected in N. latifolia and other plant species in Cameroon.
• To identify tramadol and its metabolites in environmental samples (soil, water) and plant roots.
• To determine the pathway of tramadol contamination in the local ecosystem.

Main Methods:

• Independent investigation of tramadol source.
• Analysis of plant roots, soil, and water samples from the Far North region of Cameroon.
• Identification of tramadol and its major mammalian metabolites.

Main Results:

• Tramadol and three major mammalian metabolites were identified in N. latifolia roots and five other plant species.
• These compounds were also detected in soil and local water bodies exclusively in the Far North region.
• Evidence suggests off-label tramadol administration to cattle causes environmental cross-contamination.

Conclusions:

• The presence of tramadol in plant roots is attributed to anthropogenic contamination from synthetic sources.
• Environmental contamination occurs via cattle excreta, leading to soil and water pollution.
• Plants absorb these contaminants, indicating a cycle of synthetic drug presence in the local ecosystem.