What Ancient Greeks Knew About Nicotine Pouches That You Still Don’t

Nicotine, a chemical most commonly within the plants of the Solanaceae family, can be an alkaloid and is available accumulated in the leaves of these plants, though the biosynthesis of this chemical occurs in the roots of the plants. Nicotine is among the major components of addictive plants like tobacco (0.6%-3.0%) and is the reason behind their addiction in humans due to its psychoactive nature.

The follow are 10 interesting facts about nicotine.

1. nikotiinipussit netistä Etymology

The name nicotine comes from the scientific name of the tobacco plant Nicotiana tabacum. The scientific name of the tobacco plant is itself named the French ambassador to Portugal Jean Nicot de Villemain. Villeman is credited for sending tobacco seeds and plant saplings to Paris in 1560 for its used in medicinal purposes.

2. Extraction

Nicotine was first extracted from the tobacco plant by German physician Dr. Wilhelm Heinrich Posselt and chemist Karl Ludwig Reimann in 1828. After its discovery Posselt and Reimann labelled it as a poison. In fact nicotine is an antiherbivore chemical, which causes addiction when consumed in small amounts (1mg or less) and death if used high amounts (30mg-60mg).

3. Chemistry

Nicotine can be an alkaloid with the chemical formula C10H14N2. Its IUPAC name is 3[2,5-1-methylpyrrolidin-2-yl]pyridine. It has a molecular mass of 162.12g/mol. Nicotine is a hygroscopic liquid that is miscible with water as a nitrogenous base. Its density is 1.01g/cm3, melting point -79oC and boiling point 247oC. The nicotine molecule includes a half life of 2 hours and its own metabolism is hepatic. Nicotine can be optically active and contains two enantiomeric forms.

4. Nicotine as an insecticide

As already said nicotine is an antiherbivore drug which if used large amounts is fatal alive forms. This is why nicotine laden tobacco has been used as an insecticide even before the World War II. But after the WWII its usage drastically lowered as a result of option of cheap synthetic insecticides which tend to be more readily available than tobacco and less harmful to mammals. But in the recent times the hype surrounding organic farming has again increased the interest of the farmers in the use of tobacco as a pesticide being an alternate to chemical pesticides.

5. Nicotine addiction

Our central nervous system has certain nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Nicotine binds to several of these and increases the amount of several neurotransmitters. Among these neurotransmitters dopamine is one particular neurotransmitter which is significantly increased during nicotine use and is responsible for the sense of euphoria and relaxation due to using tobacco (nicotine) products.

6. Psychoactive effects of nicotine

Nicotine is really a psychoactive substance since it is mood altering. It causes both euphoria and relaxation. In your body nicotine is metabolised in the liver. First following its metabolism nicotine results in the release of glucose from the liver and epinephrine from the adrenal medulla. This sudden release of glucose and epinephrine causes euphoria after the intake of nicotine. Following the initial euphoria nicotine results in relaxation, increased alertness and sharpness by working on different neurotransmitters of your body. Nicotine also has pain relieving properties.

7. Unwanted effects of nicotine intake

Tough it looks like nicotine is a great substance to improve one’s sharpness, induce calmness and elevate one’s mood there are more negative areas of nicotine intake than positive. Among these the most frequent unwanted effects of nicotine intake are an increased threat of hypertension and heart attacks. It really is sad that every cigarette that a man smokes reduces his life time by 14 years. Moreover since nicotine has been found to affect the working of Estrogen on hippocampus, hence in the long term nicotine users are inclined to amnesia along with other related diseases.

8. Toxicity

Nicotine is considered to become more toxic than most typical drugs like heroin and cocaine. More harm is done by nicotine to our body because it is readily absorbed by the bloodstream and reaches the brain through the lungs within 7 seconds of its intake either orally or as nicotine patches.

9. Usage of nicotine in medical science

Though nicotine is not a doctor’s best friend, it really is yet not his worst foe. Nicotine known because of its pain relieving properties is being researched upon to be utilized as a potential pain killer minus its harmful effects. Nicotine in addition has been found to reduce preeclampsia, allergic asthma; among others by acting as an anti-inflammatory agent.

10. Nicotine in literature

Nicotine has been personified in popular literature as Nick O’ Teen, a humanoid villainous character in Superman comics which was created as part of anti-nicotine drive to teach children about the ill-effects of nicotine intake in any form.

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