AMOBARBITAL is a barbiturate derivative with hypnotic and sedative properties. In an in vitro study in rat thalamic slices amobarbital worked by activating GABAA receptors, which decreased input resistance, depressed burst and tonic firing, especially in ventrobasal and intralaminar neurons, while at the same time increasing burst duration and mean conductance at individual chloride channels; this increased both the amplitude and decay time of inhibitory postsynaptic currents. Adverse effects are mainly a consequence of dose-related CNS depression and the risk of dependence with continued use is high.

Chloral is a chlorinated aldehyde that found extensive use, beginning in the 1940s, as a precursor in the production of the insecticide DDT and, to a lesser extent, of other insecticides and pharmaceuticals. This use of chloral has declined steadily since the 1960s, especially in those countries where the use of DDT has been restricted. Chloral is readily converted to chloral hydrate in the presence of water. Chloral hydrate is used as a sedative before medical procedures and to reduce anxiety related to withdrawal from drugs. Wider exposure to chloral hydrate occurs at microgram-per-liter levels in drinking water and swimming pools as a result of chlorination. Chloral hydrate is a well-established aneuploidogenic agent that also has some mutagenic activity. In human cells in vitro, chloral hydrate induced aneuploidy, micronuclei and gene mutations. Chloral hydrate clearly induced micronuclei in Chinese hamster cells, whereas findings in mouse lymphoma cells were conflicting. Induction of somatic mutation (but not sex-linked mutation) by chloral hydrate was demonstrated in insects. Chloral hydrate is metabolized in vivo to trichloroethanol, which is responsible for its physiological and psychological effects. The metabolite of chloral hydrate exerts its pharmacological properties via enhancing the GABA receptor complex and therefore is similar in action to benzodiazepines, nonbenzodiazepines, and barbiturates. In clinical studies, oral chloral hydrate appears to have a lower sedation failure rate when compared with oral promethazine for children undergoing pediatric neurodiagnostic procedures. The sedation failure was similar for other comparisons such as oral dexmedetomidine, oral hydroxyzine hydrochloride, and oral midazolam. When compared with intravenous pentobarbital and music therapy, oral chloral hydrate had a higher sedation failure rate. Compared to dexmedetomidine, chloral hydrate was associated with a higher risk of nausea and vomiting.

Chloral is a chlorinated aldehyde that found extensive use, beginning in the 1940s, as a precursor in the production of the insecticide DDT and, to a lesser extent, of other insecticides and pharmaceuticals. This use of chloral has declined steadily since the 1960s, especially in those countries where the use of DDT has been restricted. Chloral is readily converted to chloral hydrate in the presence of water. Chloral hydrate is used as a sedative before medical procedures and to reduce anxiety related to withdrawal from drugs. Wider exposure to chloral hydrate occurs at microgram-per-liter levels in drinking water and swimming pools as a result of chlorination. Chloral hydrate is a well-established aneuploidogenic agent that also has some mutagenic activity. In human cells in vitro, chloral hydrate induced aneuploidy, micronuclei and gene mutations. Chloral hydrate clearly induced micronuclei in Chinese hamster cells, whereas findings in mouse lymphoma cells were conflicting. Induction of somatic mutation (but not sex-linked mutation) by chloral hydrate was demonstrated in insects. Chloral hydrate is metabolized in vivo to trichloroethanol, which is responsible for its physiological and psychological effects. The metabolite of chloral hydrate exerts its pharmacological properties via enhancing the GABA receptor complex and therefore is similar in action to benzodiazepines, nonbenzodiazepines, and barbiturates. In clinical studies, oral chloral hydrate appears to have a lower sedation failure rate when compared with oral promethazine for children undergoing pediatric neurodiagnostic procedures. The sedation failure was similar for other comparisons such as oral dexmedetomidine, oral hydroxyzine hydrochloride, and oral midazolam. When compared with intravenous pentobarbital and music therapy, oral chloral hydrate had a higher sedation failure rate. Compared to dexmedetomidine, chloral hydrate was associated with a higher risk of nausea and vomiting.

Aprobarbital is a barbiturate derivative. Aprobarbital have been used for the short-term treatment of insomnia and for routine sedation to relieve anxiety, tension, and apprehension however, barbiturates generally have been replaced by benzodiazepines.

Sesamin is the most prominent lignan compound found in sesame seeds, one of the two highest sources of lignans in the human diet (the other being flax). Sesamin is catered to be a nutritional supplement that confers antioxidant and antiinflammatory effects (if touting its health properties) or possibly being an estrogen receptor modulator and fat burner (if targeting atheltes or persons wishing to lose weight). Sesamin has a few mechanisms, and when looking at it holistically it can be summed up as a fatty acid metabolism modifier. It appears to inhibit an enzyme known as delta-5-desaturase (Δ5-desaturase) which is a rate-limiting enzyme in fatty acid metabolism; inhibiting this enzyme results in lower levels of both eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, one of the two fish oil fatty acids) as well as arachidonic acid, and this mechanism appears to be relevant following oral ingestion. The other main mechanism is inhibiting a process known as Tocopherol-ω-hydroxylation, which is the rate limiting step in the metabolism of Vitamin E; by inhibiting this enzyme, sesamin causes a relative increase of vitamin E in the body but particularly those of the gamma subset (γ-tocopherol and γ-tocotrienol) and this mechanism has also been confirmed to be active following oral ingestion. Sesamin is a potent and specific inhibitor of delta 5 desaturase in polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis. Sesamin inhibits a particular CYP3A enzymes that is involved in vitamin E metabolism, where the enzyme initially ω-hydroxylates vitamin E (required step) and then the rest of vitamin E is subject to fat oxidation. By inhibiting this step, sesamin causes an increase in circulating and organ concentrations of vitamin E. Sesamin is thought to have PPARα activating potential in the liver, but it is uncertain how much practical relevance this has in humans due to this being a mechanism that differs between species.

Nerolidol (aka peruviol) is a naturally occurring sesquiterpene found in the essential oils of many types of plants and flowers. The aroma of nerolidol is woody and reminiscent of fresh bark. It is used as a flavoring agent and in perfumery. It is also used in non-cosmetic products such as detergents and cleansers. Additionally, it is known for several biological activities including antioxidant, anti-fungal, anticancer, and antimicrobial activities.

Xylazine was developed as an antihypertensive agent. During clinical studies in people xylazine was found to have excessive central nervous system depressant effects and it was subsequently introduced for veterinary use as a sedative, analgesic and relaxant. Xylazine is a potent alpha-2 adrenergic agonist. Xylazine in horses and Cervidae may occasionally cause slight muscle tremors, bradycardia with partial A-V heart block and a reduced respiratory rate. Movement in response to sharp auditory stimuli may be observed.

Periciazine (INN), also known as pericyazine (BAN) or Propericiazine, is a drug that belongs to the phenothiazine class of typical antipsychotics. Pericyazine is not approved for sale in the United States. It is commonly sold in Canada and Russia under the tradename Neuleptil and in the United Kingdom and Australia under the tradename Neulactil. The primary uses of pericyazine include the short-term treatment of severe anxiety or tension and in the maintenance treatment of psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. There is insufficient evidence to determine whether periciazine is more or less effective than other antipsychotics. Pericyazine is a rather sedating and anticholinergic antipsychotic, and despite being classed with the typical antipsychotics, its risk of extrapyramidal side effects is comparatively low. It has a relatively high risk of causing hyperprolactinemia and a moderate risk of causing weight gain and orthostatic hypotension.

Phenazepam belongs to the 1,4-benzodiazepines, the same family of medicines to which diazepam, oxazepam and temazepam belong. Phenazepam was first synthesized and developed in 1975 in the former Soviet Union where it became one of the most prescribed benzodiazepines since 1978 to treat sleep disorder, anxiety, alcohol use disorder and epilepsy. Phenazepam has not been licensed elsewhere in the world. The actions of phenazepam are mediated by the GABAA-receptor and reversed by the selective benzodiazepine antagonist flumazenil. In vitro, phenazepam and its metabolite 3-hydroxyphenazepam potentiate GABA responses with EC50-values of 6.1 nM and 10.3 nM, respectively, comparable to the value of 13.5 nM for diazepam. In vivo, phenazepam induces pronounced myorelaxation in the rotarod test with an ED50-value of 2.48 (1.65-3.72) mg/kg, and at 10 mg/kg it decreases punished responding in the conflict test (conflict between drinking motivation and painful electrical stimuli). Phenazepam increases the duration of sleep induced by hexanal several fold and is in this respect superior to diazepam. Both phenazepam and 3-hydroxyphenazepam are full GABAA receptor agonists.

Trifluomeprazine is a sedative and hypnotic, it was used in veterinary medicine under the brand name Nortran. Withdrawn from the market.