Find analgesic 6 times stronger than morphine

Human saliva produces six times more natural painkillers than morphine, according to French researchers.

The opiorphin substance in pain relief saliva is extremely strong, and does not cause psychological or addictive side effects like traditional painkillers.

Experimenting with mice, the scientists found that 1mg of opiorphin / kg body weight had an analgesic effect equivalent to 3mg morphine. Experimental mice on the needle must use 6 times higher morphine than opiorphin.

'In addition to the analgesic effect, opiorphin may also have antidepressant, debilitating properties,' said Catherine Rougeot, who works at the Pasteur Institute (France) and heads the study.

Ms. Rougeot and colleagues discovered that opiorphin works in the spinal cord's neuron.Opinephin is a simple molecule that can be synthesized and mass produced without extraction from saliva , she said.