[Active principles of plant origin: a tool for studying membrane receptors]

Ever since ancient times, considerable interest has been shown in plants for therapeutic use. Nowadays, however, studies of plant extracts are no longer based on empiricism; they provide great support to fundamental research, especially for a better understanding of the mediator/receptor couples. This applies to the study of cholinergic (atropine, muscarine, etc.), adrenergic (yohimbine, rauwolscine, etc.), dopaminergic (apomorphine, bromocriptine, etc.), purinergic (caffeine, theophylline, etc.), opiate (morphine), GABA (strychnine, muscimol, bicuculline, etc.), cardiac glycosides (gitaloxin, digitoxin) and PAF-acether receptors (ginkgolides from Ginkgo biloba).