Peer-Reviewed References
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2. Freeman B, Mamallapalli J, Bian T, Ballas K, Lynch A, Scala A, Huo Z, Fredenburg KM, Bruijnzeel AW, Baglole CJ, Lu J, Salloum RG, Malaty J, Xing C. Opportunities and Challenges of Kava in Lung Cancer Prevention. International journal of molecular sciences. 2023;24.
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5. Leitzman P, Narayanapillai SC, Balbo S, Zhou B, Upadhyaya P, Shaik AA, O'Sullivan MG, Hecht SS, Lu J, Xing C. Kava blocks 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone-induced lung tumorigenesis in association with reducing O6-methylguanine DNA adduct in A/J mice. Cancer Prev Res. 2014;7:86–96.
6. Martin AC, Johnston E, Xing C, Hegeman AD. Measuring the chemical and cytotoxic variability of commercially available kava (Piper methysticum G. Forster). PloS one. 2014;9:e111572.
7. Jhoo JW, Freeman JP, Heinze TM, Moody JD, Schnackenberg LK, Beger RD, Dragull K, Tang CS, Ang CY. In vitro cytotoxicity of nonpolar constituents from different parts of kava plant (Piper methysticum). Journal of agricultural and food chemistry. 2006;54:3157–3162.
8. Zhou P, Gross S, Liu JH, Yu BY, Feng LL, Nolta J, Sharma V, Piwnica-Worms D, Qiu SX. Flavokawain B, the hepatotoxic constituent from kava root, induces GSH-sensitive oxidative stress through modulation of IKK/NF-kappaB and MAPK signaling pathways. Faseb j. 2010;24:4722–4732.
9. Narayanapillai SC, Leitzman P, O'Sullivan MG, Xing C. Flavokawains a and B in kava, not dihydromethysticin, potentiate acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in C57BL/6 mice. Chemical research in toxicology. 2014;27:1871–1876.
10. Lebot V, Do TK, Legendre L. Detection of flavokavins (A, B, C) in cultivars of kava (Piper methysticum) using high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC). Food chemistry. 2014;151:554–560.
11. Lebot V, Michalet S, Legendre L. Kavalactones and Flavokavins Profiles Contribute to Quality Assessment of Kava (Piper methysticum G. Forst.), the Traditional Beverage of the Pacific. Beverages. 2019;5:34.
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15. Bian T, Lynch A, Ballas K, Mamallapalli J, Freeman B, Scala A, Wang Y, Trabouls H, Chellian RK, Fagan A, Tang Z, Ding H, De U, Fredenburg KM, Huo Z, Baglole CJ, Zhang W, Reznikov LR, Bruijnzeel AW, Xing C. AB-free kava enhances resilience against the adverse health effects of tobacco smoke in mice. ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science. 2024;7:3502–3517.
16. Kanumuri SRR, Mamallapalli J, Nelson R, McCurdy CR, Mathews CA, Xing C, Sharma A. Clinical pharmacokinetics of kavalactones after oral dosing of standardized kava extract in healthy volunteers. Journal of ethnopharmacology. 2022;297:115514.
17. Smith SY, Aylwin CF, Daniels TF, Greer JL, Kunces LJ, Lili L, Phipps SM, Schmidt CM, Schmidt JC, Schmidt MA. Kavalactones support motivation to move during intensive training in males preparing for military special operations forces. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2024;21:2377194.
18. Mamallapalli J, Henderson A, Berthold E, Yoon SL, Ray D, Lowe M, Grundmann O. Prevalence and use patterns of kava (Piper methysticum) in a US nationally representative sample. Journal of ethnopharmacology. 2025;355:120617.
19. Wang YN, S.; Tessier, K.; Strayer, L.; Upadhyaya, P.; Hu, Q.; Kingston, R.; Salloum, R. G.; Lu, J.; Hecht, S.S.; Hatsukami, D.; Fujioka, N.; Xing, C. The Impact of One-week Dietary Supplementation with Kava on Biomarkers of Tobacco Use and Nitrosamine-based Carcinogenesis Risk among Active Smokers. Cancer Prev Res. 2020;13:483–492.
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21. Xing C, Malaty J, Malham MB, Nehme AMA, Freeman B, Huo Z, Firpi-Morrel R, Salloum RG. Reducing tobacco-associated lung cancer risk: a study protocol for a randomized clinical trial of AB-free kava. Trials. 2023;24:36.
22. Xing C, Malaty J, Malham MB, Orlando FA, Lynch A, Huo Z, François M, Firpi-Morell R, Fisher CL, Christou DD, Salloum RG. The potential of AB-free kava in enabling tobacco cessation via management of abstinence-related stress and insomnia: study protocol for a randomized clinical trial. BMC Complement Med Ther. 2024;24:422.
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24. Hu Q, Tang Z, Lynch A, Freeman B, Fujioka N, Salloum RG, Malaty J, Orlando FA, Langaee T, Huo Z, Xing C. One-Week Kava Dietary Supplementation Increases Both Urinary N- and O-Glucuronides of NNAL, a Lung Carcinogen Major Metabolite, among Smokers. Chemical research in toxicology. 2024;37:1515–1523.
25. Bian T, Corral P, Wang Y, Botello J, Kingston R, Daniels T, Salloum RG, Johnston E, Huo Z, Lu J. Kava as a clinical nutrient: promises and challenges. Nutrients. 2020;12:3044.
26. Bian TD, H.; Wang, Y.; Hu, Q.; Chen, S.; Fujioka, N.; Aly, F. Z.; Lu, J.; Huo, Z.; Xing, C. Suppressing the activation of protein kinase A as a DNA damage-independent mechanistic lead for dihydromethysticin (DHM) prophylaxis of NNK-induced lung carcinogenesis. Carcinogenesis. 2022;43:659–670.
27. Haiti SH, Q.; Huo, Z.; Lu, J.; Xing, C. Structure-activity relationship of dihydromethysticin on NNK-induced lung DNA damage in A/J mice. ChemMedChem. 2021;17:e202100727.
28. Hu Q, Corral P, Narayanapillai SC, Leitzman P, Upadhyaya P, O'Sullivan MG, Hecht SS, Lu J, Xing C. Oral dosing of dihydromethysticin ahead of tobacco carcinogen NNK effectively prevents lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice. Chemical research in toxicology. 2020;33:1980–1988.
29. Narayanapillai SC, von Weymarn LB, Carmella SG, Leitzman P, Paladino J, Upadhyaya P, Hecht SS, Murphy SE, Xing C. Dietary Dihydromethysticin Increases Glucuronidation of 4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-Pyridyl)-1-Butanol in A/J Mice, Potentially Enhancing Its Detoxification. Drug metabolism and disposition: the biological fate of chemicals. 2016;44:422–427.
30. Narayanapillai SC, Lin SH, Leitzman P, Upadhyaya P, Baglole CJ, Xing C. Dihydromethysticin (DHM) Blocks Tobacco Carcinogen 4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK)-Induced O6-Methylguanine in a Manner Independent of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) Pathway in C57BL/6 Female Mice. Chemical research in toxicology. 2016;29:1828–1834.
31. Wang YH, T.; Bian, T.; Reznikov, L.R.; Bruijnzeel, A.W.; Lin, T.; Xing, C. AB-Free Kava Suppresses Tobacco Smoke-Induced CREB Phosphorylation in the Mouse Cerebellum. Pytomedicine Plus. 2025;Accepted.
32. Xu FB, T.; Freeman, B.; Reznikov, L.; Bruijnzeel, A.; Zhang, W.; Xing, C. Kavalactones attenuate cigarette smoke- and LPS-induced inflammatory responses through PKA-dependent CREB/COX-2 signaling pathway. Mol Pharmaceut. 2026;Under review.
33. Upton RS, D.; Casper, L.; McPhee, K.: Kava Rhizome & Root Piper methysticum G. Forst Standards of Identity Analysis, Quality Control, and Therapeutics, American Herbal Pharmacopoeia; 2025.