SEROTONIN ODYSSEY IN INDIA
Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) was discovered 70 years ago and the study of serotonin and its receptors persist to acquiesce novel biological insights of medical importance in virtually all major organ systems, including the cardiovascular, pulmonary, gastrointestinal (GI), and genitourinary systems as well as the central nervous system (CNS) (Erspamer 1940, Xiao et al. 1998). Serotonin and serotonin receptors are important in the regulation of virtually all brain functions, and dysregulation of the serotonergic system has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many psychiatric and neurological disorders. A greater understanding of serotonin function has emerged during the last two decades with the cloning of at least 15 serotonin receptors, which are grouped into seven families based on signaling mechanisms. Other important advances have included the subsequent development of receptor-specific knockout mice, and the development of receptor subtype-selective drugs. These advances have also shown us that serotonin has critically important functions in many human organ systems outside the CNS, including the regulation of energy balance and food intake, GI and endocrine function, and cardiovascular and pulmonary physiology. These findings may help explain the diverse side effects of serotonergic drugs—from diabetes and metabolic syndrome to valvular heart disease. Interestingly the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of our body resides 95% of the serotonin (5-HT) of the total body in the enterochromaffin cells (EC). This warrants for a great deal of research interest towards its significance in gastrointestinal pharmacology. The Indian version of Serotonin odyssey was initiated in early sixties of the last decade to explore the natural product like banana (Fig.1) and other plants products to protect the various