Journal of ethnopharmacology
July 12, 2017
Karina Simón-arceo, Ma Eva González-trujano, Ulises Coffeen et al.
26 citations
An extract of Salvia divinorum reduced pain responses in rats with both neuropathic and inflammatory pain. The extract's analgesic effects were blocked by a kappa-opioid receptor antagonist, indicating a kappa-opioid mechanism. The extract also altered brain activity, increasing power spectral density in the anterior cortex and decreasing it in the posterior region, changes that may correlate with the hallucinogenic state seen in humans. The findings suggest Salvia divinorum could be a therapeutic alternative for chronic pain, acting through kappa-opioid receptors.
Journal of ethnopharmacology
January 10, 2023
Merline Delices, Jessica de Araujo Isaias Muller, Karuppusamy Arunachalam et al.
23 citations
Anadenanthera colubrina, a South American tree used in traditional medicine and indigenous rituals, has pharmacological potential but also possible toxicity from psychotropic compounds. This review of published studies found that bark and seeds are commonly used for respiratory conditions and as entheogens. The plant exhibits anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, antidiarrheal, wound healing, antimicrobial, antitumoral, antioxidant, antiaddictive, insecticide, and allelopathic properties in laboratory assays. Approximately 56 compounds have been identified, including an exclusive flavonoid, anadanthoflavone, and bufotenine from seeds, linked to hallucinogenic and antiviral activity. Extracts from leaves, bark, gum, and fruits show low toxicity in tests, but seed extracts' safety remains unclear. More research on isolated compounds and mechanisms is needed to validate traditional uses.
Journal of ethnopharmacology
August 30, 2012
Roman Paškulin, Polona Jamnik, Tjaša Danevčič et al.
19 citations
Ibogaine, a compound from the iboga plant, temporarily increases cellular energy consumption and carbon dioxide production in a dose-dependent manner, as shown in a yeast model. This energy mobilization paradoxically reduces the ATP pool while simultaneously lowering overall oxidative load. Ibogaine does not act as a direct antioxidant but instead stimulates the cell's own oxidative stress defense systems, leading to metabolic remodeling. The initial energy cost results in improved efficiency of antioxidative systems, reduced oxidative damage, and lower basal metabolic needs. This new metabolic equilibrium saves energy and makes it readily available for extra demands, suggesting benefits for health, stress resistance, and recovery from diseases including addiction.
Journal of ethnopharmacology
September 1, 1993
M D Merlin, J W Allen
18 citations
Several fungi species in the Hawaiian Islands contain psychoactive alkaloids. Five coprophilous (dung-inhabiting) and one non-coprophilous species are now known to have these compounds. Some are consumed recreationally. Previously described psychoactive species include Copelandia cyanescens, Copelandia tropicalis, Copelandia anomala, and Panaeolus subbalteatus. Three additional mind-altering fungi are reported for the first time from the archipelago: Copelandia bispora from O'ahu, Copelandia cambodginiensis from O'ahu, and Amanita muscaria from Kaua'i. Panaeolus goossensiae from O'ahu contains tryptamine compounds but not the psychoactive alkaloids psilocybin or psilocin.
Journal of ethnopharmacology
January 1, 1985
T A Van Beek, C De Smidt, R Verpoorte
18 citations
Ibogaine, the major alkaloid isolated from the stembark of Tabernaemontana crassa, showed antibacterial activity against the gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis. Conopharyngine was also identified as a minor compound in the plant.
Journal of ethnopharmacology
November 14, 2005
Stephen R Berlant
17 citations
The paper proposes that the Egyptian White and Triple Crowns originally represented the entheogenic mushroom Psilocybe cubensis, which an Egyptian tale allegorically linked to barley. It argues that Osiris personified this and other entheogenic mushrooms as a god of spiritual rebirth. The plant called the Eye of Horus, included in cakes and ales for spiritual rebirth, is theorized to be an entheogenic mushroom cap analogous to Soma. The author also explains why scholars have historically failed to recognize these connections.
Journal of ethnopharmacology
April 24, 2018
Zul Merali, Christian Cayer, Pamela Kent et al.
16 citations
Burning copal incense from Protium copal, traditionally used by the Maya, reduced anxiety-like behavior in rats in social interaction and conditioned emotional response tests, but not in the elevated plus maze. The effect depended on time and was blocked by antagonists of GABAergic and endocannabinoid systems, indicating both systems are involved. The resin and incense contained high levels of α- and β-amyrins and inhibited monoacylglycerol lipase activity in vitro. This suggests the anxiolytic effects may be mediated through benzodiazepine receptors and the endocannabinoid system.
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.
Journal of ethnopharmacology
August 8, 2014
Marco Leonti, Laura Casu
15 citations
The Rigveda describes Soma as an exhilarating, gold-colored elixir of the immortals, but its botanical identity remains unresolved. This study analyzes two historical Amrita recipes from the 6th-century Bower Manuscript—a medical treatise unearthed in Chinese Turkestan—that contain about 100 herbal ingredients. The authors hypothesize these recipes relate to the older Rigvedic Soma, though the manuscript mentions no exhilarating properties, only uses as panaceas and for nervous diseases. Psychoactive alkaloid-containing species identified include Tinospora cordifolia, Sida spp., Mucuna pruriens, Nelumbo nucifera, Desmodium gangeticum, and Tabernaemontana divaricata, which contain tryptamines, ephedrine, ibogaine, and other compounds.
Journal of ethnopharmacology
February 15, 2012
Kenneth Alper, Maarten E.A. Reith, Henry Sershen
13 citations
Ibogaine, a psychoactive alkaloid from the root bark of Tabernanthe iboga, is used to treat addiction and is a candidate for pharmaceutical development. Its ability to inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) has pharmacological and toxicological relevance. Using Ellman's reagent with physostigmine as a control, ibogaine inhibited AChE with an IC50 of 520 ± 40 μM. This inhibition is physiologically negligible and does not explain functional effects in animals or humans that might suggest involvement of muscarinic acetylcholine pathways.
Journal of ethnopharmacology
February 10, 2024
Tiago Arruda Sanchez, Lucas Rego Ramos, Felipe Araujo et al.
12 citations
Ayahuasca, a traditional Amazonian beverage, attenuates brain activity in the amygdala—a region central to fear processing—when people view aversive (fearful or disgusted) faces, while enhancing activation in the insular cortex and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Nineteen experienced male users underwent fMRI before and 50 minutes after ingesting ayahuasca. Self-reported anxiety and mental sedation also decreased. The findings suggest ayahuasca may promote emotion regulation in response to negative stimuli, with corresponding improvements in cognition.
Journal of ethnopharmacology
April 6, 2024
Pedro Santana Sales Lauria, Juliana de Medeiros Gomes, Lucas Silva Abreu et al.
10 citations
Ayahuasca, a psychedelic brew used in religious ceremonies, reduces pain in mice across several models of acute and chronic pain, including neuropathic pain. Oral doses of 24-3000 μL/kg dose-dependently decreased formalin-induced pain behaviors and mechanical allodynia caused by inflammation, but did not affect paw swelling or tail flick reflexes. In a model of nerve injury, a single dose reduced mechanical allodynia, and daily treatments for 14 days produced sustained pain relief without detectable toxicity. The antinociceptive effect was reversed by blocking GABAA and serotonin receptors, but not by opioid, GABAB, or cannabinoid receptor antagonists. Harmine, a major component of ayahuasca, also produced consistent pain relief in neuropathic mice.
Journal of ethnopharmacology
October 28, 2024
Lok-Hi Chow, Pin-Chen Lin, Ying-Jie Chen et al.
6 citations
Yangonin, a kavalactone from kava, reduced pain sensitivity and inflammation-induced pain in rats when injected into the spinal cord. These effects were blocked by a cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptor antagonist, indicating yangonin acts through CB1 receptors. Yangonin did not affect nerve injury-induced pain. Kavain, another kavalactone, had no effect on any pain type tested.
Journal of ethnopharmacology
January 30, 2025
Maria Rita Garcia, Federico Ferreres, Tiago Mineiro et al.
3 citations
An aqueous extract of the aerial parts of Calea zacatechichi, a plant traditionally used for its dream-inducing effects, interferes with the cholinergic and dopaminergic systems by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase and tyrosinase, but does not affect monoamine oxidase A. The extract also shows notable cytotoxicity in neuronal and microglial cells at low concentrations, with evidence of apoptosis and necroptosis, though it scavenges free radicals and inhibits lipid peroxidation. Twenty-eight phenolic constituents were identified, 24 previously unreported in this species. The findings highlight the need for a regulatory framework for recreational use and help clarify the plant's psychopharmacological mechanisms.
Journal of ethnopharmacology
January 30, 2025
Santhiago C Graça, Isabella B Bustelli, Érica V Dos Santos et al.
2 citations
Ayahuasca, a beverage made from Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis, is used in the Amazon for healing. The B. caapi extract contains harmine, harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine, which inhibit monoamine oxidase and can increase norepinephrine in the locus coeruleus, potentially reducing inflammation in neurological diseases. In male Wistar rats with locus coeruleus lesions induced by 6-hydroxydopamine, treatment with B. caapi extract reduced locus coeruleus neurons, interfered with locomotion, and increased activation of inflammatory microglia. The extract also decreased IL-10 in the hippocampus and BDNF gene expression. At the concentration and frequency used, B. caapi extract promotes noradrenergic neuron depletion and creates a proinflammatory environment in the central nervous system.