Journal of ethnopharmacology
May 1, 1983
L J Valdés, J L Díaz, A G Paul
166 citations
Salvia divinorum, a perennial herb in the mint family, is used by the Mazatec people of Oaxaca, Mexico, for healing and divination. Its psychotropic effects are compared to those of other Mazatec hallucinogens, such as morning glory and psilocybin-containing mushrooms. The plant's role in the native pharmacopeia is discussed based on prior reports and the authors' fieldwork with a Mazatec shaman.
Journal of psychoactive drugs
January 1, 1994
L J Valdés
147 citations
Salvia divinorum, a vision-inducing mint used by the Mazatec people of Mexico, is grown in the United States as a legal hallucinogen. Contrary to traditional belief that it has mild psychotropic activity, the plant is quite powerful when ingested correctly—by chewing fresh leaves as a quid, eating them raw, preparing an aqueous infusion, or smoking dried leaves. Its major active ingredient is the neoclerodane diterpene salvinorin A, demonstrated in animals and humans. Inactive orally, the compound is effective in doses of 200 to 500 mcg when smoked, making it the first documented diterpene hallucinogen and the most potent naturally occurring hallucinogen isolated. This article reviews the plant's use, chemistry, effects in animals and humans, and abuse potential.
Organic letters
November 29, 2001
L J Valdés, H M Chang, D C Visger et al.
81 citations
A minor compound called salvinorin C was isolated from the leaves of the Mexican mint Salvia divinorum. Its chemical structure was determined using detailed proton and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments, along with comparisons to the NMR data of three acetate derivatives made from the major reduction product of salvinorin A. This work adds to the understanding of the chemical constituents of this psychoactive plant.