Kavain

Kavain is the main kavalactone found mostly in the roots of the kava plant.

Kavain has anticonvulsive properties, attenuating vascular smooth muscle contraction through interactions with voltage-dependent Na+ and Ca2+ channels. How this effect is mediated and to what extent this mechanism is involved in the anxiolytic and analgesic effects of kavalactones on the central nervous system is unknown. Kavain's pharmacological activities have not been sufficiently investigated and neither its effect as a serotonin reuptake inhibitor nor its monoamine (norepinephrine) uptake inhibitions and activation of NMDA receptors have been confirmed.