Extraction studies of Tabernanthe iboga and Voacanga africana.
Natural product letters – February 01, 2002
Source: PubMed
Summary
A breakthrough method now simplifies extracting vital plant compounds. The challenge was making valuable compounds, like ibogaine for drug addiction treatment, more affordable. Researchers devised a straightforward process using common, inexpensive ingredients: diluted vinegar and ammonia. This innovative technique successfully isolated ibogaine from *Tabernanthe iboga* and related compounds from *Voacanga africana*. The purified extracts, including minor alkaloids, were readily obtained, offering a cost-effective solution.
Abstract
The root bark of Tabernanthe iboga contains ibogaine as its predominant alkaloid and has been an important source of it. Ibogaine is used experimentally to interrupt drug addiction and allow therapeutic intervention, but is currently unaffordable to doctors in less economically developed countries. To meet this need, an extraction of alkaloids from T. iboga root bark was optimized and simplified to use only diluted vinegar and ammonia, and was successfully applied to related alkaloids from Voacanga africana bark also. The alkaloids were converted to their hydrochlorides and purified, and the minor alkaloids were recovered.