Overview:
Salvia divinorum, also known as Diviner's Sage, Magic Mint, María Pastora, Sally D, Sage of the Seers, or simply Salvia (although the genus name is shared among many plants), is a powerful psychoactive plant, a member of the sage genus and the Lamiaceae (mint) family. It has long been used as an entheogen by the indigenous Mazatec shamans for healing during spirit journeys. The plant is found in isolated, shaded and moist plots in Oaxaca, Mexico. It is thought to be a cultigen.
The Latin name Salvia divinorum literally translates to "sage of the seers". The genus name Salvia is derived from the Latin salvare, meaning "to heal" or "to save".
The primary psychoactive constituent is a diterpenoid known as salvinorin A.
Salvia divinorum was first found in Oaxaca Mexico where it is used by the Mazatec Indians to facilitate visions and to treat diarrhea, headaches, and a magical disease called panzon de borrego, otherwise known as swollen belly. It was first recorded in print by Jean Basset Johnson in 1939 as he was studying Mazatec shamanism. He later documented its usage and reported its effects through personal testimonials. It was not until the 1990s that the psychoactive mechanism was identified by a team led by Daniel Siebert.
The history of the plant is not known, but there are three possibilities as to its origin. Since it is found in one small area and only one indigenous group uses it, it is either native to this area, is a cultigen of the Mazatecs, or is a cultigen of another indigenous group. Wasson theorized that this plant was the mythological pipilzintzintli, the "Noble Prince" of the Aztec codices. However, this theory is not without dispute. The Aztecs were extremely knowledgeable in plant identification, and their records report that pipilzintzintli has both male and female varieties. Salvia divinorum, however, is monoecious, meaning it produces flowers of both sexes on a single plant. Skeptics of this theory report that the Aztecs would have known the difference between male and female flowers. Wasson gains validity, however, as a number of Aztec historical accounts classify plants as male or female in a metaphorical, rather than botanically anatomical manner.
Salvinorin A is a trans-neoclerodane diterpenoid. Unlike other known opioid-receptor ligands, salvinorin A is not an alkaloid — it does not contain a basic nitrogen atom. Salvinorin A has no actions at the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor, the principal molecular target responsible for the actions of classical psychedelics.
Salvinorin A is the most potent naturally-occurring psychoactive compound known. It is active at doses as low as 200 µg. Recent research has shown that salvinorin A is a potent and selective κ (kappa) opioid receptor agonist. It has been reported that the effects of salvinorin A in mice are blocked by kappa opioid receptor antagonists. This makes it unlikely that another mechanism contributes independently to the compound’s effects. Salvinorin A is unique in that it is the only naturally occurring substance known to induce a visionary state via this mode of action.
Research:
Salvia divinorum and salvinorin A: new pharmacologic findings
Analysis of the Psychoactive Terpenoid Salvinorin A Content in Five Salvia divinorum Herbal Products
Salvinorin A, an active component of the hallucinogenic sage Salvia divinorum, is a highly Efficacious Kappa Opioid Receptor Agonist
