| Nicotine is an
alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants (Solanaceae),
predominantly in tobacco, and in lower quantities in tomato,
potato, eggplant (aubergine), and green pepper. Nicotine
alkaloids are also found in the leaves of the coca plant.
Nicotine has been found to constitute approximately 0.6-3% of
dry weight of tobacco, with biosynthesis taking place in the
roots, and accumulating in the leaves. It functions as an
antiherbivore chemical, being a potent neurotoxin with
particular specificity to insects; therefore nicotine was widely
used as an insecticide in the past, and currently nicotine
derivatives such as imidacloprid continue to be widely used.
In low concentrations (an average cigarette yields about 1 mg of
absorbed nicotine), the substance acts as a stimulant in mammals
and is one of the main factors responsible for the
dependence-forming properties of tobacco smoking. According to
the American Heart Association, "Nicotine addiction has
historically been one of the hardest addictions to break." The
pharmacological and behavioral characteristics that determine
tobacco addiction are similar to those that determine addiction
to drugs such as heroin and cocaine.
History and name >>
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Nicotine
History and name
Chemistry
Pharmacology
1.Pharmacokinetics
2.Pharmacodynamics
2.1 In adrenal medulla
2.2 In CNS
Psychoactive effects
Dependence
Toxicology
Therapeutic uses
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