Ibogaine, a psychedelic from the African plant Tabernanthe iboga, blocked the reinstatement of a conditioned place preference for ethanol in male mice, suggesting it may disrupt learned alcohol-seeking behaviors. Ethanol (1.8 g/kg) induced a conditioned place preference, but ibogaine (10 or 30 mg/kg) did not produce rewarding effects on its own. Repeated ibogaine treatment after ethanol conditioning prevented reinstatement of the preference both when mice received a priming ethanol injection and when they were re-exposed to the ethanol-paired compartment without the drug. These results indicate ibogaine could have therapeutic potential for alcohol use disorder at doses that lack rewarding effects.
Male mice voluntarily drank ayahuasca over water when offered every other day, regardless of concentration. Extending the interval between exposures to every five days reversed this preference, producing aversion to ayahuasca, especially at higher concentrations. Frequency of exposure and concentration together influenced total ayahuasca intake during later re-exposure. These results indicate that both how often and how much ayahuasca is available determine preference in mice, which may inform therapeutic or ritualistic use.