Journal of ethnopharmacology
April 22, 2015
Aleksandra Nikolić-kokić, Zorana Oreščanin-dušić, Ivan Spasojević et al.
15 citations
Ibogaine, a natural alkaloid from the Tabernanthe iboga plant, has been used for centuries in West African traditions and is known for anti-addictive effects. In human red blood cells treated in the lab, ibogaine increased ATP levels in blood plasma without altering cell membrane flexibility or uric acid. It boosted activity of the antioxidant enzyme SOD1 at both 10 and 20 µM doses, and at the higher dose also increased glutathione reductase activity. Ibogaine protected SOD1 from damage by hydrogen peroxide. These results suggest ibogaine supports energy metabolism and acts as a pro-antioxidant by enhancing antioxidant enzyme activity, potentially helping cells adapt to oxidative stress.
Life (Basel, Switzerland)
December 23, 2021
Nikola Tatalović, Teodora Vidonja Uzelac, Milica Mijović et al.
8 citations
In female rats, ibogaine treatment produced lower liver glycogen breakdown than previously seen in males, along with dilation of liver blood vessels and increased thiol concentrations six hours after dosing. After 24 hours, liver catalase activity and lipid peroxidation rose while xanthine oxidase activity fell. Kidneys showed mild damage, decreased glutathione reductase, and increased catalase and xanthine oxidase activity at various time points. Ibogaine did not alter antioxidant enzymes in red blood cells. Bioavailability of ibogaine was two to three times higher in females than males. Effects were sex- and tissue-specific, and also dose- and time-dependent.
Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity
January 1, 2018
Zorana Oreščanin-dušić, Nikola Tatalović, Teodora Vidonja-Uzelac et al.
7 citations
Ibogaine, an alkaloid from the African shrub Tabernanthe iboga, alters uterine muscle activity in a concentration-dependent way. Low concentrations stimulate spontaneous contractions, while higher doses inhibit them. Inhibitory doses reduce SOD1 activity and increase GSH-Px activity; complete inhibition raises CAT activity. These enzyme changes are due to posttranslational modifications, not altered protein levels, and point to a large rise in hydrogen peroxide. Since extracellular ATP stimulates uterine contractions and hydrogen peroxide inhibits them, ibogaine's dual effect likely stems from its known impact on cellular ATP levels and redox balance.
International journal of molecular sciences
June 13, 2024
Teodora Vidonja Uzelac, Nikola Tatalović, Milica Mijović et al.
6 citations
Ibogaine, an alkaloid used in alternative addiction treatment, caused dose-dependent heart muscle cell death (necrosis) in rats 6 and 24 hours after a single oral dose of 1 or 20 mg/kg. This cardiotoxicity was not driven by inflammation. No consistent changes in antioxidant defenses or oxidative damage markers were observed, leaving the role of oxidative stress in ibogaine-induced heart damage unclear. The findings help explain the often-fatal cardiac side effects seen in humans using ibogaine, but definitive conclusions about redox processes require further study.
Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)
November 9, 2021
Nikola Tatalović, Teodora Vidonja Uzelac, Zorana Oreščanin Dušić et al.
5 citations
A single dose of ibogaine (28.8 μmol/L) applied to isolated rat uterus altered contractility and antioxidant enzyme activity over four hours. In spontaneously contracting uteri, ibogaine immediately increased contraction amplitude and frequency, effects blocked by propranolol (β-adrenoceptor antagonist) and glibenclamide (KATP channel inhibitor, for frequency only). In calcium-stimulated uteri, ibogaine decreased amplitude and frequency after four hours; propranolol prevented the amplitude reduction, but glibenclamide had no effect. Ibogaine reduced superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) activity and increased catalase (CAT) activity after two hours in both uterus types, and in calcium-stimulated uteri also reduced SOD2 activity. After four hours, SOD1 returned to baseline while glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity rose. Pre-treatment with propranolol or glibenclamide abolished these enzyme changes, indicating ibogaine's pro-antioxidant effects are mediated by β-adrenergic receptors and KATP channels.