{
  "abstract": "Introduction: Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death worldwide. Anxiety increases the risk for smoking, and smoking in turn increases the risk for anxiety disorders. There is therefore a need to identify interventions that reduce anxiety, in general and in the context of smoking. Kava (Piper methysticum), a natural product with a long history of indigenous use, has been shown to have anxiolytic and calming effects and reduce nicotine withdrawal. The current study examined whether kava without the hepatotoxic flavokavains A and B (AB-free) could reduce anxiety-like behavior in mice repeatedly treated with nicotine.\n\nMethods: Male and female C57BL/6N mice received either a control diet or an AB-free kava-supplemented diet and underwent two blocks of nicotine treatments. Mice underwent a first block of five every-other-day injections of nicotine (0.5 mg/kg) or saline, with open field testing after each injection, followed 1 week later by a nicotine challenge. A second block of injections was given using the same injection schedule, followed by a second challenge 1 week later, and 2 weeks afterward mice received a final challenge in a novel open field.\n\nResults: During the first treatment block, nicotine significantly reduced locomotor activity and center time. There was a significant diet × treatment interaction on center time, with AB-free kava significantly increasing center time in saline-treated but not nicotine-treated mice. During the final challenge in a novel open field, nicotine again significantly reduced locomotor activity and center time, and AB-free kava significantly increased center time irrespective of nicotine treatment, without affecting locomotor activity. These effects remained significant when cage was included as a random factor.\n\nDiscussion: These results suggest that AB-free kava has anxiolytic-like effects without reducing locomotor activity but does not prevent nicotine-induced suppression of exploratory behavior.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Florida",
    "Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development (CNPD3), College of Pharmacy, University of Florida"
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 7,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Guido Huisman"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Lara Caglayan"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Tengfei Bian"
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    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Yifan Wang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Marcelo Febo"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Chengguo Xing"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Adriaan W. Bruijnzeel"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/a79ssyrnj6wc2.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fphar.2026.1981677",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13713732",
  "id": "a79ssyrnj6wc2",
  "issns": [
    "1663-9812"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1981677/full",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
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      "heading",
      "Original Research"
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      "openalex",
      "2707|Medicinal Plant Extracts Effects"
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  "openalex": "W7221814782",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1981677/pdf",
  "pmcid": "PMC13713732",
  "pmid": "42952799",
  "published": "2026-10-14",
  "publisher": "Frontiers Media SA",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/a79ssyrnj6wc2.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:06Z",
      "native_id": "10.3389/fphar.2026.1981677",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1981677/full"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T00:20:41Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42952799",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42952799"
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    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T12:24:14Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13713732",
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      "url": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2026.1981677"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "issn:1663-9812",
      "subfield": "pharmacology-toxicology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "AB-free Kava reduces anxiety-like behavior without preventing nicotine-induced exploration suppression in mice",
  "title_text": "AB-free Kava reduces anxiety-like behavior without preventing nicotine-induced exploration suppression in mice",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-01T12:21:21Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/a79ssyrnj6wc2",
  "venue": "Frontiers in Pharmacology",
  "versions": []
}