Pharmacology - Bitter Orange (Citrus Aurantium), and Octopamine

[Ontherooftops]

So, since the regulation of Ephedra Sinica and ephedrine, many companies have been forced to develop new stimulants to put in their weight loss or energy pills. A quick walk through a supplement store will show that their preferred replacement is clearly Citrus Aurantium.

Most subjects in Swim's circle who have tried products containing extracts of bitter orange, or bitter orange peel, have noted definite stimulation and mood elevation.

C. Aurantium is clearly documented as containing synephrine, which is not noted as being much diffrent pharmacologically than Psuedoephedrine, so the synephrine is likely not responsible for the percieved mood elevation. A closer inspection of this plant and its extracts reveals a _relatively_ large amount of an alkaloid called Octopamine.

There is very little documentation on this amine, except that it is known to occur naturally within both vertabrates and invertabrates. To an inexperienced chemist it appears structurally similar to amphetamine. According to Wikipedia, as well as other sources, MAO inhibition leads to the replacement of norepinephrine in the peripheral nervous system.

Considering the rate at which the extract of C. Aurantium is appearing in stimulating "health supplements", it seems necessary to swim that more knowledge is gained about this plant.