Traditional use
Used ceremonially and medicinally across Polynesian cultures for over 3,000 years. Traditionally prepared as an aqueous extract of the root for social gatherings, religious ceremonies, and treatment of anxiety and insomnia.
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Relaxation & Sleep SupportCommercial SupplyCommercial
Kava
Piper methysticum
Family · Piperaceae
Pacific Islands (Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea)
Kava is a traditional beverage crop of the Pacific Islands, valued for its relaxing and anxiolytic properties. The root is rich in kavalactones, a class of lactone compounds responsible for its psychoactive effects.
At a glance
Kava (Piper methysticum) is supplied by Phyto-Medichem as a standardised extract from our manufacturing facility. Marker compound: Kavain (C14H14O3). Available now for commercial supply. Sourced from Pacific Islands (Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea). Per-batch Certificate of Analysis from our in-house HPLC analytical laboratory.
| Marker compound | Kavain |
|---|---|
| Molecular formula | C14H14O3 |
| PubChem CID | 5281565 |
| Botanical family | Piperaceae |
| Source region | Pacific Islands (Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea) |
| Pipeline stage | Commercial Supply |
| Commercial status | Commercial |
| Catalogue SKU | COM-KAV-001 |
Marker compound
Kavain
C14H14O3
The principal characterised compound for Kava. Structure data and identifiers sourced from PubChem.
View on PubChem (CID 5281565)Profile
Compound profile
Active compounds
KavainDihydrokavainMethysticinDihydromethysticinYangoninDesmethoxyyangonin
Mechanisms of action
- GABA-A receptor modulation
- Voltage-gated sodium channel inhibition
- Norepinephrine uptake inhibition
- MAO-B inhibition
Applications
Anxiety support researchSleep supportMuscle relaxationStress management
Development status
Commercial supply via kavalactone-standardised extract. Continued chemotype monitoring across cultivars and Pacific Island origins.
Regulatory notes
Regulatory status varies by jurisdiction. Approved in most markets with quality controls. Some restrictions in Europe following historical hepatotoxicity concerns (now attributed to poor-quality preparations using aerial parts rather than noble kava root).
Sourcing & sustainability
We source noble kava cultivars exclusively from established farming communities in Fiji and Vanuatu, ensuring chemotype quality and sustainable harvesting practices.
Key research
Peer-reviewed literature
Selected reviews and primary studies indexed on PubMed / PMC. The mechanism-of-action framings on this page are drawn from peer-reviewed pharmacology; consult these sources for the underlying evidence and methodology.
- PMCNeuroimaging Insights: Kava's (Piper methysticum) Effect on Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex GABA in Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Recent clinical neuroimaging study of GABAergic mechanism.
- PMCKavain, the Major Constituent of the Anxiolytic Kava Extract, Potentiates GABAA Receptors: Functional Characteristics and Molecular Mechanism
Molecular mechanism of kavain–GABA-A receptor interaction.
- PMCAn Updated Review on the Psychoactive, Toxic and Anticancer Properties of Kava
Updated review covering pharmacology and safety, including noble-vs-tudei cultivar context.
For research and ingredient-supply context only
Mechanism, traditional-use, and application descriptions on this page are presented as pharmacological research context for B2B formulators, buyers, and licensing partners. They do not constitute medical advice, regulatory claims, or a guarantee of therapeutic effect, and downstream product claims remain the responsibility of the formulator under their jurisdiction's regulations. See the regulatory notes block above for compound-specific market context.
From our perspectives
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