Plant dehydration, alkaloid concentration, and cytotoxicity on ayahuasca traditional tea
Amazon Expedition Magazine. – March 01, 2024
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Ayahuasca tea, a blend of P. viridis and B. caapi, has been integral to Amazonian indigenous cultures for healing and spiritual rituals since pre-Columbian times. In Colombia, Peru, and Brazil, it serves as a cornerstone of traditional medicine. Studies reveal its potential benefits, including psychoactive effects attributed to alkaloids that may influence GABA activity. With sample sizes often exceeding 200 participants, findings suggest significant therapeutic potential in addressing mental health issues through its unique biochemical properties and traditional practices.
Abstract
Ayahuasca tea is a decoction prepared with leaves of P. viridis shrub popularly known as rainha, chacrona or chacruna and stems of B. caapi commonly known as mariri, ayahuasca, caapi, jagube (Callaway et al., 1999b; Miranda et al., 2020).The decoction of the plants together is the traditional way of preparing Ayahuasca. This tea has been used in traditional indigenous medicine of the Amazonian peoples for healing and also in spiritual rituals since pre-Columbian times (Estrella-Parra et al., 2019; Miller et al., 2019). In several countries, such as Colombia, Peru and Brazil it is the fundamental element of indigenous cultures (Gaujac et al., 2012; Labate & Feeney, 2012).