Curcumin is considered a diarylheptanoid, or secondary metabolite derived from the plant turmeric (a member of the ginger family). As a diarylheptanoid, curcumin is chemically composed of two aryl groups (aromatic rings) interlinked with a chain of 7 carbon atoms. It was initially discovered by scientists Vogel and Pelletier in 1842 when they extracted and …
Nortriptyline (brand name “Pamelor”) is considered the chief pharmacologically active metabolite of the chemical amitriptyline, a tricyclic antidepressant derived from dibenzocycloheptene. Formation of nortriptyline occurs upon hepatic oxidative N-demethylation of amitriptyline via CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 isoenzymes. In the early 1960s, researchers realized a significant portion of amitriptyline’s antidepressant effects resulted from the formation of its …
Amitriptyline (brand name “Elavil”) is a drug derived from the chemical dibenzocycloheptadiene that was discovered and approved in the early 1960s for the treatment of major depression. It is formally classified as a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) and functions principally via inhibiting the presynaptic reuptake of norepinephrine and serotonin. This effect of dual presynaptic reuptake inhibition …
Paxil (Paroxetine) is an antidepressant manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline that hit the market in 1992. It was originally approved by the FDA for the treatment of major depression in adults. The drug has since received FDA approval to treat a variety of other psychiatric and medical conditions including: generalized anxiety disorder, hot flashes, panic disorder, PTSD, …
Brintellix (Vortioxetine) is an atypical antidepressant manufactured by Lundbeck and Takeda. It was approved by the FDA in 2013 for the treatment of major depressive disorder, but failed to meet clinical trial endpoints for the treatment of anxiety disorder. The drug is sometimes classified as a serotonin modulator and stimulator (SMS) in that it predominantly …
Wellbutrin (Bupropion) is an antidepressant that is hypothesized to function as a norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI). It is believed to predominantly increase levels of norepinephrine and only affects dopamine to a minor extent. As a result of its noradrenergic mechanism of action, it is considered “atypical” when compared to other serotonergic antidepressants. Unlike serotonergic antidepressants, Wellbutrin has a …
Pristiq (Desvenlafaxine) is an SNRI antidepressant developed by Wyeth as an improved successor to the older drug Effexor (Venlafaxine). Pristiq is engineered to contain solely the pharmacologically active metabolite of Venlafaxine known as “O-desmethylvenlafaxine” in a synthetic format dubbed “desvenlafaxine.” The drug was approved by the FDA in 2008 for the treatment of major depression …