The present invention provides a group of tobacco alkaloids, tobacco extract,
Yerbamat extract, and an extract of chewing gum and lozenges which are modulators
of monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity (i.e., compounds and substances which inhibit
MAO enzyme and prevent its biological activity). The MAO inhibitors of the present
invention can cause an increase in the level of norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin
in the brain and other tissues, and thus can cause a wide variety of pharmacological
effects mediated by their effects on these compounds. The MAO inhibitors of the
present invention are useful for a variety of therapeutic applications, such as
the treatment of depression, disorders of attention and focus, mood and emotional
disorders, Parkinson's disease, extrapyramidal disorders, hypertension, substance
abuse, smoking substitution, anti-depression therapy, eating disorders, withdrawal
syndromes, and the cessation of smoking.