Potent Anti-amoebic Effects of Ibogaine, Voacangine and the Root Bark Alkaloid Fraction of Tabernaemontana arborea.
Planta medica February 1, 2023 Julio César Carrero, Violeta Curay-Herrera, Lysette Chacón-niño et al. 6 citations
Alkaloids from the root bark of Tabernaemontana arborea, particularly ibogaine and voacangine, show potent anti-amoebic activity against Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites in culture, with IC50 values of 4.5 and 8.1 µM at 24 hours, comparable to metronidazole (6.8 µM). However, the effect diminished after 48 and 72 hours, suggesting the alkaloids may be catabolized into less active derivatives by the parasites. In a hamster model of amoebic liver abscess, the alkaloids reduced the number of trophozoites in liver tissue but did not prevent abscess formation, indicating rapid inactivation in vivo. The findings suggest potential for these compounds as leads for new amoebiasis treatments, though further work is needed to address metabolic instability.