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Rodrigues P, Guimarães L, Carvalho AP, Oliva-Teles L. Carbamazepine, venlafaxine, tramadol, and their main metabolites: Toxicological effects on zebrafish embryos and larvae. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 448:130909. [PMID: 36860067 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.130909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Pharmaceutical compounds and their metabolites are found in natural and wastewater. However, investigation of their toxic effects on aquatic animals has been neglected, especially for metabolites. This work investigated the effects of the main metabolites of carbamazepine, venlafaxine and tramadol. Zebrafish embryos were exposed (0.1-100 µg/L) for 168hpf exposures to each metabolite (carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide, 10,11-dihydrocarbamazepine, O-desmethylvenlafaxine, N-desmethylvenlafaxine, O-desmethyltramadol, N-desmethyltramadol) or the parental compound. A concentration-response relationship was found for the effects of some embryonic malformations. Carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide, O-desmethylvenlafaxine and tramadol elicited the highest malformation rates. All compounds significantly decreased larvae responses on a sensorimotor assay compared to controls. Altered expression was found for most of the 32 tested genes. In particular, abcc1, abcc2, abcg2a, nrf2, pparg and raraa were found to be affected by all three drug groups. For each group, the modelled expression patterns showed differences in expression between parental compounds and metabolites. Potential biomarkers of exposure were identified for the venlafaxine and carbamazepine groups. These results are worrying, indicating that such contamination in aquatic systems may put natural populations at significant risk. Furthermore, metabolites represent a real risk that needs more scrutinising by the scientific community.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Rodrigues
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research - CIIMAR, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões Av. General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal; Faculty of Sciences - Biology Department, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, University of Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal; Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - L Guimarães
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research - CIIMAR, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões Av. General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal; Faculty of Sciences - Biology Department, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, University of Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
| | - A P Carvalho
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research - CIIMAR, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões Av. General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal; Faculty of Sciences - Biology Department, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, University of Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - L Oliva-Teles
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research - CIIMAR, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões Av. General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal; Faculty of Sciences - Biology Department, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, University of Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
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Garduño-Jiménez AL, Durán-Álvarez JC, Cortés-Lagunes RS, Barrett DA, Gomes RL. Translating wastewater reuse for irrigation from OECD Guidelines: Tramadol sorption and desorption in soil-water matrices. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 305:135031. [PMID: 35605731 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Treated and untreated wastewater is often used for agricultural irrigation and, despite the many benefits of this practice, it poses the risk of biologically active chemical pollutants (such as pharmaceuticals, like tramadol) entering the environment. The partitioning of tramadol between soil/water at environmentally relevant concentrations is important to understand its environmental toxicity. Kinetics and isotherm sorption studies based on the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) 106 Guideline were undertaken, ensuring comparability to previous studies. Studies were undertaken in three soils of different characteristics using aqueous concentrations of tramadol from 500 ng L-1 (environmentally relevant) to 100 μg L-1 (comparable to previous studies). Two of the soils presented a significantly (p < 0.05) higher sorption at a lower initial tramadol concentration (5000 ng L-1), compared to 20,000 ng L-1. Hysteresis was observed in all studied soils, indicating the accumulation of tramadol. Higher sorption to soils correlated with higher clay content, with soil/water partitioning coefficients (Kd) of 5.5 ± 13.3, 2.5 ± 3.8 and 0.9 ± 3.0 L kg1 for soils with clay contents of 41.9%, 24.5% and 7.4%, respectively. Cation exchange was proposed as the main sorption mechanism for tramadol to soils when the pH was below tramadol's pKa values (9.41 and 13.08). A comparative kinetics study between tramadol in soil/calcium chloride buffer and soil/wastewater effluent demonstrated significantly higher (p < 0.05) tramadol sorption to soil from wastewater effluent. This has the environmental implication that clay soils will be able to retain tramadol from irrigation water, despite the organic content of the irrigation water. Therefore, our studies show that tramadol soil sorption is likely to be higher in agricultural environments reusing wastewater than that predicted from experiments using the OECD 106 Guideline calcium chloride buffer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea-Lorena Garduño-Jiménez
- Food Water Waste Research Group. Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottinghamshire, NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
| | - Juan Carlos Durán-Álvarez
- Instituto de Ciencias Aplicadas y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior S/N, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacan, Ciudad de México, 04510, Mexico
| | - Ruth Silvana Cortés-Lagunes
- Instituto de Ciencias Aplicadas y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior S/N, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacan, Ciudad de México, 04510, Mexico
| | - David A Barrett
- Centre for Analytical Bioscience, Advanced Materials and Healthcare Technologies Division, School of Pharmacy University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottinghamshire, NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel L Gomes
- Food Water Waste Research Group. Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottinghamshire, NG7 2RD, United Kingdom.
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Bachour RL, Golovko O, Kellner M, Pohl J. Behavioral effects of citalopram, tramadol, and binary mixture in zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 238:124587. [PMID: 31425864 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.124587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Revised: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Pharmaceuticals are emerging as environmentally problematic compounds. As they are often not appropriately removed by sewage treatment plants, pharmaceutical compounds end up in surface water environments worldwide at concentrations in the ng to μg L-1 range. There is a need to further explore single compound and mixture effects using e.g. in vivo test model systems. We have investigated, for the first time, behavioral effects in larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) exposed to a binary mixture of an antidepressant drug (citalopram) and a synthetic opioid (tramadol). Citalopram and tramadol have a similar mode of action (serotonin reuptake inhibition) and are known to produce drug-drug interactional effects resulting in serotonin syndrome (SS) in humans. Zebrafish embryo-larvae were exposed to citalopram, tramadol and 1:1 binary mixture from fertilization until 144 h post-fertilization. No effects on heart rate, spontaneous tail coiling, or death/malformations were observed in any treatment at tested concentrations. Behavior (hypoactivity in dark periods) was on the other hand affected, with lowest observed effect concentrations (LOECs) of 373 μg L-1 for citalopram, 320 μg L-1 for tramadol, and 473 μg L-1 for the 1:1 mixture. Behavioral EC50 was calculated to be 471 μg L-1 for citalopram, 411 μg L-1 for tramadol, and 713 μg L-1 for the 1:1 mixture. The results of this study conclude that tramadol and citalopram produce hypoactivity in 144 hpf zebrafish larvae. Further, a 1:1 binary mixture of the two caused the same response, albeit at a higher concentration, possibly due to SS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raougina-Laouisa Bachour
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Oksana Golovko
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Martin Kellner
- Department of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Johannes Pohl
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Jacobs RL, McClure PJ, Baker BW, Espinoza EO. Myth debunked: Keratinous pangolin scales do not contain the analgesic tramadol. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.82] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel L. Jacobs
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, National Fish & Wildlife Forensics Laboratory Ashland Oregon
| | - Pamela J. McClure
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, National Fish & Wildlife Forensics Laboratory Ashland Oregon
| | - Barry W. Baker
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, National Fish & Wildlife Forensics Laboratory Ashland Oregon
| | - Edgard O. Espinoza
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, National Fish & Wildlife Forensics Laboratory Ashland Oregon
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Romanucci V, Siciliano A, Galdiero E, Guida M, Luongo G, Liguori R, Di Fabio G, Previtera L, Zarrelli A. Disinfection by-Products and Ecotoxic Risk Associated with Hypochlorite Treatment of Tramadol. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24040693. [PMID: 30769936 PMCID: PMC6412430 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24040693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, many studies have highlighted the consistent finding of tramadol (TRA) in the effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WTPs) and also in some rivers and lakes in both Europe and North America, suggesting that TRA is removed by no more than 36% by specific disinfection treatments. The extensive use of this drug has led to environmental pollution of both water and soil, up to its detection in growing plants. In order to expand the knowledge about TRA toxicity as well as the nature of its disinfection by-products (DBPs), a simulation of the waste treatment chlorination step has been reported herein. In particular, we found seven new by-products, that together with TRA, have been assayed on different living organisms (Aliivibrio fischeri, Raphidocelis subcapitata and Daphnia magna), to test their acute and chronic toxicity. The results reported that TRA may be classified as a harmful compound to some aquatic organisms whereas its chlorinated product mixture showed no effects on any of the organisms tested. All data suggest however that TRA chlorination treatment produces a variety of DBPs which can be more harmful than TRA and a risk for the aquatic environment and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Romanucci
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Napoli Federico II, Via Cintia 4 (ed. 5), I-80126 Naples, Italy.
| | - Antonietta Siciliano
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia 4 (ed. 7), I-80126 Naples, Italy.
| | - Emilia Galdiero
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia 4 (ed. 7), I-80126 Naples, Italy.
| | - Marco Guida
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia 4 (ed. 7), I-80126 Naples, Italy.
| | - Giovanni Luongo
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Napoli Federico II, Via Cintia 4 (ed. 5), I-80126 Naples, Italy.
| | - Renato Liguori
- Department of Science and Technology, University of Naples Parthenope, I-80143 Naples, Italy.
| | - Giovanni Di Fabio
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Napoli Federico II, Via Cintia 4 (ed. 5), I-80126 Naples, Italy.
| | - Lucio Previtera
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Napoli Federico II, Via Cintia 4 (ed. 5), I-80126 Naples, Italy.
| | - Armando Zarrelli
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Napoli Federico II, Via Cintia 4 (ed. 5), I-80126 Naples, Italy.
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Haudecoeur R, Peuchmaur M, Pérès B, Rome M, Taïwe GS, Boumendjel A, Boucherle B. Traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of African Nauclea species: A review. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2018; 212:106-136. [PMID: 29045823 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2017.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Revised: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 10/13/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOALOGICAL RELEVANCE The genus Nauclea in Africa comprises seven species. Among them, N. latifolia, N. diderrichii and N. pobeguinii are widely used by the local population in traditional remedies. Preparation from various parts of plants (e.g. roots, bark, leaves) are indicated by traditional healers for a wide range of diseases including malaria, pain, digestive ailments or metabolic diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS A literature search was conducted on African species of the genus Nauclea using scientific databases such as Google Scholar, Pubmed or SciFinder. Every document of ethnopharmacological, phytochemical or pharmacological relevance and written in English or French were analyzed. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The Nauclea genus is used as ethnomedicine all along sub-Saharan Africa. Several local populations consider Nauclea species as a major source of remedies for malaria. In this regard, two improved traditional medicines are currently under development using extracts from N. latifolia and N. pobeguinii. Concerning the chemical composition of the Nauclea genus, indoloquinolizidines alkaloids could be considered as the major class of compounds as they are reported in every analyzed Nauclea species, with numerous structures identified. Based on traditional indications a considerable amount of pharmacological studies were conducted to ensure activity and attempt to link them to the presence of particular compounds in plant extracts. CONCLUSION Many experimental studies using plant extracts of the African species of the genus Nauclea validate traditional indications (e.g. malaria and pain). However, bioactive compounds are rarely identified and therefore, there is a clear need for further evaluations as well as for toxicity experiments. The sustainability of these plants, especially of N. diderrichii, a threatened species, should be kept in mind to adapt local uses and preparation modes of traditional remedies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain Haudecoeur
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, DPM UMR 5063, F-38041 Grenoble, France; CNRS, DPM UMR 5063, F-38041 Grenoble, France
| | - Marine Peuchmaur
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, DPM UMR 5063, F-38041 Grenoble, France; CNRS, DPM UMR 5063, F-38041 Grenoble, France
| | - Basile Pérès
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, DPM UMR 5063, F-38041 Grenoble, France; CNRS, DPM UMR 5063, F-38041 Grenoble, France
| | - Maxime Rome
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, SAJF UMS 3370, F-38041 Grenoble, France; CNRS, SAJF UMS 3370, F-38041 Grenoble, France
| | | | - Ahcène Boumendjel
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, DPM UMR 5063, F-38041 Grenoble, France; CNRS, DPM UMR 5063, F-38041 Grenoble, France
| | - Benjamin Boucherle
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, DPM UMR 5063, F-38041 Grenoble, France; CNRS, DPM UMR 5063, F-38041 Grenoble, France.
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Tanoue R, Margiotta-Casaluci L, Huerta B, Runnalls TJ, Nomiyama K, Kunisue T, Tanabe S, Sumpter JP. Uptake and Metabolism of Human Pharmaceuticals by Fish: A Case Study with the Opioid Analgesic Tramadol. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2017; 51:12825-12835. [PMID: 28977743 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b03441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Recent species-extrapolation approaches to the prediction of the potential effects of pharmaceuticals present in the environment on wild fish are based on the assumption that pharmacokinetics and metabolism in humans and fish are comparable. To test this hypothesis, we exposed fathead minnows to the opiate pro-drug tramadol and examined uptake from the water into the blood and brain and the metabolism of the drug into its main metabolites. We found that plasma concentrations could be predicted reasonably accurately based on the lipophilicity of the drug once the pH of the water was taken into account. The concentrations of the drug and its main metabolites were higher in the brain than in the plasma, and the observed brain and plasma concentration ratios were within the range of values reported in mammalian species. This fish species was able to metabolize the pro-drug tramadol into the highly active metabolite O-desmethyl tramadol and the inactive metabolite N-desmethyl tramadol in a similar manner to that of mammals. However, we found that concentration ratios of O-desmethyl tramadol to tramadol were lower in the fish than values in most humans administered the drug. Our pharmacokinetic data of tramadol in fish help bridge the gap between widely available mammalian pharmacological data and potential effects on aquatic organisms and highlight the importance of understanding drug uptake and metabolism in fish to enable the full implementation of predictive toxicology approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rumi Tanoue
- Centre for Marine Environmental Studies, Ehime University , 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University , Uxbridge, Middlesex, London UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
| | - Luigi Margiotta-Casaluci
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University , Uxbridge, Middlesex, London UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
| | - Belinda Huerta
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University , Uxbridge, Middlesex, London UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
| | - Tamsin J Runnalls
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University , Uxbridge, Middlesex, London UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
| | - Kei Nomiyama
- Centre for Marine Environmental Studies, Ehime University , 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Kunisue
- Centre for Marine Environmental Studies, Ehime University , 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan
| | - Shinsuke Tanabe
- Centre for Marine Environmental Studies, Ehime University , 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan
| | - John P Sumpter
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University , Uxbridge, Middlesex, London UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
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Hassan AR, El-Kousy SM, El-Toumy SA, Frydenvang K, Tung TT, Olsen J, Nielsen J, Christensen SB. Metformin, an Anthropogenic Contaminant of Seidlitzia rosmarinus Collected in a Desert Region near the Gulf of Aqaba, Sinai Peninsula. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2017; 80:2830-2834. [PMID: 28930456 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.7b00106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
A phytochemical investigation of Seidlitzia rosmarinus collected along the shoreline of the Gulf of Aqaba in the remote southern desert region of the Sinai peninsula has revealed the presence of the registered drug metformin (4). However, analysis of the 14C content revealed the drug to be an anthropogenic contaminant. Consequently, natural product researchers should be aware that compounds isolated from plants might originate from environmental contamination rather than biosynthesis. The new natural product N-(4-hydroxyphenylethyl)-α-chloroferuloylamide was isolated as a mixture of the E and Z isomers along with a number of other well-established secondary metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed R Hassan
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen , DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
- Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Department, Desert Research Center , El-Matariya 11753, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Salah M El-Kousy
- Chemistry of Tannins Department, National Research Centre , Dokki 12622, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Sayed A El-Toumy
- Chemistry Department, Menoufia University , Shebin El-Kom 32861, El-Menoufia, Egypt
| | - Karla Frydenvang
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen , DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - Truong Thanh Tung
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen , DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - Jesper Olsen
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University , DK-8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - John Nielsen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen , DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - Søren Brøgger Christensen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen , DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
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9
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Enantiomeric Separation of Tramadol and Its Metabolites: Method Validation and Application to Environmental Samples. Symmetry (Basel) 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/sym9090170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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Boucherle B, Haudecoeur R, Queiroz EF, De Waard M, Wolfender JL, Robins RJ, Boumendjel A. Nauclea latifolia: biological activity and alkaloid phytochemistry of a West African tree. Nat Prod Rep 2016; 33:1034-43. [PMID: 27346294 DOI: 10.1039/c6np00039h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Covering up to 2016Nauclea latifolia (syn. Sarcocephalus latifolius, Rubiaceae), commonly called the African pincushion tree, is a plant widely used in folk medicine in different regions of Africa for treating a variety of illnesses, including malaria, epilepsy and pain. N. latifolia has not only drawn the interest of traditional healers but also of phytochemists, who have identified a range of bioactive indole alkaloids in its tissue. More recently, following up on the traditional use of extracts in pain management, a bio-guided purification from the roots of the tree led to the identification of the active ingredient as tramadol, available as a synthetic analgesic since the 1970s. The discovery of this compound as a natural phytochemical was highlighted worldwide. This review focuses on the correlation between extracted compounds and pharmacological activities, paying special attention to infectious diseases and neurologically-related disorders. A critical analysis of the data reported so far on the natural origin of tramadol and its proposed biosynthesis is also presented.
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