page_title: Thujone
section_title: Pharmacology
hierarchical_section_title: Thujone / Pharmacology
caption_attribution_description: English: Thujone
context_page_description: Thujone is a ketone and a monoterpene that occurs naturally in two diastereomeric forms:-α-thujone and-β-thujone. It has an odor like that of menthol, which is found in mint.
  Though it is best known as a chemical compound in the spirit absinthe, it is unlikely to be responsible for absinthe's alleged stimulant and psychoactive effects due to the small quantities present. Thujone acts on GABA as an antagonist. As a competitive antagonist of GABA, thujone alone is considered to be convulsant, though by interfering with the inhibitory transmitter GABA, it may convey stimulating, mood-elevating effects at low doses. It is also used in perfumery as a component of several essential oils.
  In addition to the naturally occurring-α-thujone and-β-thujone, two other forms are possible:-α-thujone and-β-thujone. In 2016, they were found in nature as well, in Salvia officinalis.
context_section_description: Based on studies that looked only at molecular shape, for many years thujone was thought to act similarly to THC on the cannabinoid receptors; however, this has since been proven false.  Thujone is a GABAA receptor antagonist and more specifically, a GABAA receptor competitive antagonist.  By inhibiting GABA receptor activation, neurons may fire more easily, which can cause muscle spasms and convulsions.  Thujone is also a 5-HT₃ antagonist.
  The median lethal dose, or LD₅₀, of alpha-thujone, the more active of the two isomers, in mice, is around 45 mg/kg, with  0% mortality rate at 30 mg/kg and 100% at 60 mg/kg.  Mice exposed to the higher dose have convulsions that lead to death within 1 minute.  From 30 to 45 mg/kg, the mice experience muscle spasms in the legs, which progress to general convulsions until death or recovery. These effects are in line with other GABA antagonists.  Also, alpha-thujone is metabolized quickly in the liver in mice. Pretreatment with GABA positive allosteric modulators like diazepam, phenobarbital, or 1 g/kg of ethanol protects against a lethal dose of 100 mg/kg.
  Attention performance has been tested with low and high doses of thujone in alcohol.  The high dose had a short-term negative effect on attention performance.  The lower dose showed no noticeable effect.
  Thujone is reported to be toxic to brain, kidney, and liver cells and could cause convulsions if used in too high a dose. Other thujone-containing plants such as the tree arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) are used in herbal medicine, mainly for their immune-system stimulating effects. Side effects from the essential oil of this plant include anxiety, sleeplessness, and convulsions, which confirms the central nervous system effects of thujone.
caption: Research-grade thujone
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