Uncaria tomentosa / Cat`s Claw / Rubiaceae (Coffee family)

Information

This product is not sold or intended for the purpose of human consumption or cosmetic use. Any information provided about this product on this website, including any links to external websites, are solely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and must not be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the product. The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and the product is not intended to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease." The use and application of this product, based on the historical and scientific context provided in the product descriptions and articles, is solely at the customer's risk. This product is a botanical specimen of ethnographic value and interest only and is delivered with no express or implied fitness for any purpose. The product descriptions are compiled from sources we deemed to be reliable up to the date it was written but may contain omissions or errors in fact, or become outdated. It outlines the documented history of uses but should no way be construed to make any medical claims about the ability or efficacy of any of these plants to treat, prevent or mitigate any disease or condition. Although a plant may have a long history of being used for a particular purpose, scientific evidence proving its efficacy for that purpose may be lacking.

Other Names

uña de gato, paraguayo, garabato, garbato casha, samento, toroñ, tambor huasca, uña huasca, uña de gavilan, hawk's claw, saventaro

Description

Cat's Claw or Uña de gato is derived from the bark of a large woody vine, commonly Uncaria tomentosa, although natives use Uncaria guianensis interchangeably. It's name is derived from the claw-like thorns that grow along the vine's pedicule. It is a traditional herbal used by numerous cultures in the Amazon river basin. The Ashinika tribe of central Perú has been most widely associated with its ethnomedical use but other tribes such as the Aguaruna, Cashibo, Conibo, and Shipobo are thought to have used Cat's claw for over 2000 years. Cat's Claw is a wonderful gift of nature. According to several monographs(1) Uncaria tomentosa contributes to the immune system and helps to maintain flexible joints.

Contents

Cat's claw contains ajmalicine, akuammigine, campesterol, catechin, carboxyl alkyl esters, chlorogenic acid, cinchonain, corynantheine, corynoxeine, daucosterol, epicatechin, harman, hirsuteine, hirsutine, iso-pteropodine, loganic acid, lyaloside, mitraphylline, oleanolic acid, palmitoleic acid, procyanidins, pteropodine quinovic acid glycosides, rhynchophylline, rutin, sitosterols, speciophylline, stigmasterol, strictosidines, uncarine A thru F, and vaccenic acid. (2)

Historical

Cat's Claw (U. tomentosa) has been used medicinally by the Aguaruna, Asháninka, Cashibo, Conibo, and Shipibo tribes of Peru for at least 2,000 years. The Asháninka Indian tribe in central Peru has the longest recorded history of use of the plant. They are also the largest commercial source of Cat's Claw from Peru today.
Cat's Claw has been used in Peru and Europe since the early 1990s as an adjunctive treatment for diseases that target the immune system. In herbal medicine today, cat's claw is employed around the world for many different conditions.(2)
The inner bark of Cat's Claw is used to make liquid extracts, capsules, and teas. Preparations of Cat's Claw can also be applied to the skin.(3)

Health Warnings

Pregnant women, organ transplant recipients, and individuals who have autoimmune conditions should avoid taking cat’s claw. (4)
Individuals allergic to plants in the Rubiaceae family and different species of Uncaria may be more likely to have allergic reactions to Cat's Claw.
There are other plants which are known as cat's claw (or uña de gato) in Mexico and Latin America; however, they are entirely different plants, belonging to neither the Uncaria genus, nor to the Rubiaceae family. Some of the Mexican uña de gato varieties are known to have toxic properties. (5)

Plant Description

Uncaria tomentosa is a liana deriving its name from hook-like thorns that resemble the claws of a cat. U. tomentosa can grow up to 30m tall, climbing by means of these thorns. The leaves are elliptic with a smooth edge, and grow in opposite whorls of two. Cat's claw is indigenous to the Amazon rainforest, with its habitat being restricted primarily to the tropical areas of South and Central America. (5)

Legal Remarks

This product is illegal or somehow problematic to send to the following countries. Click on the country link for further information.

• Norway

References

(1) Document: NL-E4-0-C-REF, Netherlands Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport
(2) Cat's Claw, Raintree Tropical Plant Database
(3) Herbs at a Glance: Cat's Claw, NCCAM, US National Institutes of Health
(4) Cat's Claw, DrugDigest
(5) Uncaria tomentosa, Wikipedia

Articles

Any information provided about products on this website, including any links to external websites, is purely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and should never be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the products.

Una de Gato or Cat' s Claw: Another Valuable Treasure from the Peruvian Rain Forest

Tabernanthe iboga / Iboga / Apocynaceae (Dogbane Family)

Information

This botanical product is not intended for the purpose of human consumption. Information provided on this website, including links to external websites, are solely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and must not be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the product. The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and the product is not intended to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease". This is a botanical specimen of ethnographic value and interest and is delivered with no expressed or implied fitness for any purpose. The information we provide is compiled from sources we deemed to be reliable up to the date it was written but may contain omissions or errors in fact, or become outdated. It outlines the documented history of uses but should no way be construed to make any medical claims about the ability or efficacy to treat, prevent or mitigate any disease or condition. Although a plant may have a long history of being used for a particular purpose, scientific evidence proving its efficacy for that purpose may be lacking. The use and application of this product is solely at the customer's risk.

Other Names

Leaf of God, Eboka, Ibogaine, Thle-Pelakano, Bitter Grass.

Description

Tabernanthe iboga, known commonly as Iboga, is a perennial rainforest shrub native to the regions of western Central Africa. It has a long history of ritual use by several indigenous peoples living in and around the Gabon province of Central Africa including the Babongo, Mitsogo and Fang people where it occupies a central role in their religious practices.(4) Iboga is especially important in the initiation rite into the Bwiti religion where it is said to allow the initiate to journey to the land of the dead, learn about past lives, future problems and see the true self. The plant is considered sacred by members of the Bwiti and some claim that Iboga is the original Tree of Knowledge from the Bible.(3)

Contents

Ibogaine, Ibogaline and Ibogamine.(2)

Historical

Iboga its ability to bring about dream-like states was documented as early as 1885 by Father Henri Neu who wrote in his manuscript "Most Europeans (living in Gabon) have heard about this plant, used in fetishistic ceremonies. The natives use an infusion of Iboga root scrapings as a potent philter that enables one to discover hidden things and to tell the future. The one who drinks it falls into a deep sleep during which he is obsessed by uninterrupted dreams which, until the time that he awakens, he takes to be actual events..."(5)

Iboga has a central role in the West Central African Bwiti religion which is one of the three official religions in Gabon today. It has been involved in many Bwiti ceremonies, festivals and rites for hundreds of years.(4) Out of these rites and ceremonies, the initiation ceremony is considered one of the most important and usually involves the ingestion of high doses of Iboga by the new initiate. In this ceremony the young men take Iboga for extended periods, sometimes up to three days, in order to become members of the religion. During the ceremony, a few designated members remain close to the initiate to monitor his condition while musicians playing drums and harps are also close by. Iboga is believed to allow the spirit to travel to the land of the dead and learn about past lives and the consequences of past actions. After the initiation ceremony, the initiate wakes up to what is considered a new life and relates the journey with other members.(1)(3)
It is sometimes taken in lower doses as well after initiation by some as a stimulant to aid in hunting and is also used in some special ceremonies to heal sick people or drive out evil spirits.(1)
Iboga is also consumed by the entire community on night ceremonies or Ngoze which are nights that are designated for communal sharing, celebration and religious fervor. The ceremony lasts all night and by the end the community is said to share in a blissful feeling of collective unity and love. This state is called "Nlem Myore" by Bwitists which literally means "One heart only" and describes a state of emotional flow where people understand each other as they share a feeling of oneness and good will toward each other.(3)
In the United States, recently Howard Lotsof of New York began patenting Ibogaine, the plant`s most active chemical, for drug addiction treatment in 1985. He also campaigned for FDA approval for this use between 1982 and 1994. Despite poor financial support, experimental treatment for addiction and further research on Ibogaine are still being carried out today.(2)

Plant Description

Tabernanthe iboga is a small, evergreen, bushy, rainforest shrub that usually grows to a height of 2 m but given the right conditions it can grow up to 10 m tall into a small tree. It has small green leaves and its flowers are pink and white. The fruit are elongated and orange in color. Its roots are yellow and contain ibogaine in the highest concentration.(1)

Legal Remarks

This product is illegal or somehow problematic to send to the following countries. Click on the country link for further information.

• Poland
• Australia
• Reunion
• Romania
• Belgium
• Sweden
• United States
• France
• Switzerland

References

(1) Tabernanthe iboga, Wikipedia
(2) Extraction studies of Tabernanthe iboga and Voacanga africana., Jenks CW.
(3) The Bwiti Religion and the psychoactive plant Tabernanthe iboga (Equatorial Africa), Giorgio Samorini
(4) Bwiti, Wikipedia
(5) Pharmacodynamics and Therapeutic Applications of Iboga and Ibogaine, Robert Goutarel, Otto Gollnhofer and Roger Sillans.

Articles

Any information provided about products on this website, including any links to external websites, is purely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and should never be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the products.

Bwiti
Howard Lotsof
Ibogaine
Tabernanthe iboga - Erowid
The Ibogaine Dossier

Related Products

Iboga, Rite of Passage (DVD) (Ben de Loenen)

Tabernanthe iboga / Iboga / Apocynaceae (Dogbane Family)

Information

This botanical product is not intended for the purpose of human consumption. Information provided on this website, including links to external websites, are solely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and must not be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the product. The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and the product is not intended to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease". This is a botanical specimen of ethnographic value and interest and is delivered with no expressed or implied fitness for any purpose. The information we provide is compiled from sources we deemed to be reliable up to the date it was written but may contain omissions or errors in fact, or become outdated. It outlines the documented history of uses but should no way be construed to make any medical claims about the ability or efficacy to treat, prevent or mitigate any disease or condition. Although a plant may have a long history of being used for a particular purpose, scientific evidence proving its efficacy for that purpose may be lacking. The use and application of this product is solely at the customer's risk.

Other Names

Leaf of God, Eboka, Ibogaine, Thle-Pelakano, Bitter Grass.

Description

Tabernanthe iboga, known commonly as Iboga, is a perennial rainforest shrub native to the regions of western Central Africa. It has a long history of ritual use by several indigenous peoples living in and around the Gabon province of Central Africa including the Babongo, Mitsogo and Fang people where it occupies a central role in their religious practices.(4) Iboga is especially important in the initiation rite into the Bwiti religion where it is said to allow the initiate to journey to the land of the dead, learn about past lives, future problems and see the true self. The plant is considered sacred by members of the Bwiti and some claim that Iboga is the original Tree of Knowledge from the Bible.(3)

Contents

Ibogaine, Ibogaline and Ibogamine.(2)

Historical

Iboga its ability to bring about dream-like states was documented as early as 1885 by Father Henri Neu who wrote in his manuscript "Most Europeans (living in Gabon) have heard about this plant, used in fetishistic ceremonies. The natives use an infusion of Iboga root scrapings as a potent philter that enables one to discover hidden things and to tell the future. The one who drinks it falls into a deep sleep during which he is obsessed by uninterrupted dreams which, until the time that he awakens, he takes to be actual events..."(5)

Iboga has a central role in the West Central African Bwiti religion which is one of the three official religions in Gabon today. It has been involved in many Bwiti ceremonies, festivals and rites for hundreds of years.(4) Out of these rites and ceremonies, the initiation ceremony is considered one of the most important and usually involves the ingestion of high doses of Iboga by the new initiate. In this ceremony the young men take Iboga for extended periods, sometimes up to three days, in order to become members of the religion. During the ceremony, a few designated members remain close to the initiate to monitor his condition while musicians playing drums and harps are also close by. Iboga is believed to allow the spirit to travel to the land of the dead and learn about past lives and the consequences of past actions. After the initiation ceremony, the initiate wakes up to what is considered a new life and relates the journey with other members.(1)(3)
It is sometimes taken in lower doses as well after initiation by some as a stimulant to aid in hunting and is also used in some special ceremonies to heal sick people or drive out evil spirits.(1)
Iboga is also consumed by the entire community on night ceremonies or Ngoze which are nights that are designated for communal sharing, celebration and religious fervor. The ceremony lasts all night and by the end the community is said to share in a blissful feeling of collective unity and love. This state is called "Nlem Myore" by Bwitists which literally means "One heart only" and describes a state of emotional flow where people understand each other as they share a feeling of oneness and good will toward each other.(3)
In the United States, recently Howard Lotsof of New York began patenting Ibogaine, the plant`s most active chemical, for drug addiction treatment in 1985. He also campaigned for FDA approval for this use between 1982 and 1994. Despite poor financial support, experimental treatment for addiction and further research on Ibogaine are still being carried out today.(2)

Plant Description

Tabernanthe iboga is a small, evergreen, bushy, rainforest shrub that usually grows to a height of 2 m but given the right conditions it can grow up to 10 m tall into a small tree. It has small green leaves and its flowers are pink and white. The fruit are elongated and orange in color. Its roots are yellow and contain ibogaine in the highest concentration.(1)

Legal Remarks

This product is illegal or somehow problematic to send to the following countries. Click on the country link for further information.

• Poland
• Australia
• Reunion
• Romania
• Belgium
• Sweden
• United States
• France
• Switzerland

References

(1) Tabernanthe iboga, Wikipedia
(2) Extraction studies of Tabernanthe iboga and Voacanga africana., Jenks CW.
(3) The Bwiti Religion and the psychoactive plant Tabernanthe iboga (Equatorial Africa), Giorgio Samorini
(4) Bwiti, Wikipedia
(5) Pharmacodynamics and Therapeutic Applications of Iboga and Ibogaine, Robert Goutarel, Otto Gollnhofer and Roger Sillans.

Articles

Any information provided about products on this website, including any links to external websites, is purely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and should never be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the products.

Bwiti
Howard Lotsof
Ibogaine
Tabernanthe iboga - Erowid
The Ibogaine Dossier

Related Products

Iboga, Rite of Passage (DVD) (Ben de Loenen)

Tabernanthe iboga / Iboga / Apocynaceae (Dogbane Family)

Information

This botanical product is not intended for the purpose of human consumption. Information provided on this website, including links to external websites, are solely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and must not be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the product. The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and the product is not intended to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease". This is a botanical specimen of ethnographic value and interest and is delivered with no expressed or implied fitness for any purpose. The information we provide is compiled from sources we deemed to be reliable up to the date it was written but may contain omissions or errors in fact, or become outdated. It outlines the documented history of uses but should no way be construed to make any medical claims about the ability or efficacy to treat, prevent or mitigate any disease or condition. Although a plant may have a long history of being used for a particular purpose, scientific evidence proving its efficacy for that purpose may be lacking. The use and application of this product is solely at the customer's risk.

Other Names

Leaf of God, Eboka, Ibogaine, Thle-Pelakano, Bitter Grass.

Description

Tabernanthe iboga, known commonly as Iboga, is a perennial rainforest shrub native to the regions of western Central Africa. It has a long history of ritual use by several indigenous peoples living in and around the Gabon province of Central Africa including the Babongo, Mitsogo and Fang people where it occupies a central role in their religious practices.(4) Iboga is especially important in the initiation rite into the Bwiti religion where it is said to allow the initiate to journey to the land of the dead, learn about past lives, future problems and see the true self. The plant is considered sacred by members of the Bwiti and some claim that Iboga is the original Tree of Knowledge from the Bible.(3)

Contents

Ibogaine, Ibogaline and Ibogamine.(2)

Historical

Iboga its ability to bring about dream-like states was documented as early as 1885 by Father Henri Neu who wrote in his manuscript "Most Europeans (living in Gabon) have heard about this plant, used in fetishistic ceremonies. The natives use an infusion of Iboga root scrapings as a potent philter that enables one to discover hidden things and to tell the future. The one who drinks it falls into a deep sleep during which he is obsessed by uninterrupted dreams which, until the time that he awakens, he takes to be actual events..."(5)

Iboga has a central role in the West Central African Bwiti religion which is one of the three official religions in Gabon today. It has been involved in many Bwiti ceremonies, festivals and rites for hundreds of years.(4) Out of these rites and ceremonies, the initiation ceremony is considered one of the most important and usually involves the ingestion of high doses of Iboga by the new initiate. In this ceremony the young men take Iboga for extended periods, sometimes up to three days, in order to become members of the religion. During the ceremony, a few designated members remain close to the initiate to monitor his condition while musicians playing drums and harps are also close by. Iboga is believed to allow the spirit to travel to the land of the dead and learn about past lives and the consequences of past actions. After the initiation ceremony, the initiate wakes up to what is considered a new life and relates the journey with other members.(1)(3)
It is sometimes taken in lower doses as well after initiation by some as a stimulant to aid in hunting and is also used in some special ceremonies to heal sick people or drive out evil spirits.(1)
Iboga is also consumed by the entire community on night ceremonies or Ngoze which are nights that are designated for communal sharing, celebration and religious fervor. The ceremony lasts all night and by the end the community is said to share in a blissful feeling of collective unity and love. This state is called "Nlem Myore" by Bwitists which literally means "One heart only" and describes a state of emotional flow where people understand each other as they share a feeling of oneness and good will toward each other.(3)
In the United States, recently Howard Lotsof of New York began patenting Ibogaine, the plant`s most active chemical, for drug addiction treatment in 1985. He also campaigned for FDA approval for this use between 1982 and 1994. Despite poor financial support, experimental treatment for addiction and further research on Ibogaine are still being carried out today.(2)

Plant Description

Tabernanthe iboga is a small, evergreen, bushy, rainforest shrub that usually grows to a height of 2 m but given the right conditions it can grow up to 10 m tall into a small tree. It has small green leaves and its flowers are pink and white. The fruit are elongated and orange in color. Its roots are yellow and contain ibogaine in the highest concentration.(1)

Legal Remarks

This product is illegal or somehow problematic to send to the following countries. Click on the country link for further information.

• Poland
• Australia
• Reunion
• Romania
• Belgium
• Sweden
• United States
• France
• Switzerland

References

(1) Tabernanthe iboga, Wikipedia
(2) Extraction studies of Tabernanthe iboga and Voacanga africana., Jenks CW.
(3) The Bwiti Religion and the psychoactive plant Tabernanthe iboga (Equatorial Africa), Giorgio Samorini
(4) Bwiti, Wikipedia
(5) Pharmacodynamics and Therapeutic Applications of Iboga and Ibogaine, Robert Goutarel, Otto Gollnhofer and Roger Sillans.

Articles

Any information provided about products on this website, including any links to external websites, is purely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and should never be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the products.

Bwiti
Howard Lotsof
Ibogaine
Tabernanthe iboga - Erowid
The Ibogaine Dossier

Related Products

Iboga, Rite of Passage (DVD) (Ben de Loenen)

Tabernanthe iboga / Iboga / Apocynaceae (Dogbane Family)

Information

This botanical product is not intended for the purpose of human consumption. Information provided on this website, including links to external websites, are solely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and must not be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the product. The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and the product is not intended to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease". This is a botanical specimen of ethnographic value and interest and is delivered with no expressed or implied fitness for any purpose. The information we provide is compiled from sources we deemed to be reliable up to the date it was written but may contain omissions or errors in fact, or become outdated. It outlines the documented history of uses but should no way be construed to make any medical claims about the ability or efficacy to treat, prevent or mitigate any disease or condition. Although a plant may have a long history of being used for a particular purpose, scientific evidence proving its efficacy for that purpose may be lacking. The use and application of this product is solely at the customer's risk.

Other Names

Leaf of God, Eboka, Ibogaine, Thle-Pelakano, Bitter Grass.

Description

Tabernanthe iboga, known commonly as Iboga, is a perennial rainforest shrub native to the regions of western Central Africa. It has a long history of ritual use by several indigenous peoples living in and around the Gabon province of Central Africa including the Babongo, Mitsogo and Fang people where it occupies a central role in their religious practices.(4) Iboga is especially important in the initiation rite into the Bwiti religion where it is said to allow the initiate to journey to the land of the dead, learn about past lives, future problems and see the true self. The plant is considered sacred by members of the Bwiti and some claim that Iboga is the original Tree of Knowledge from the Bible.(3)

Contents

Ibogaine, Ibogaline and Ibogamine.(2)

Historical

Iboga its ability to bring about dream-like states was documented as early as 1885 by Father Henri Neu who wrote in his manuscript "Most Europeans (living in Gabon) have heard about this plant, used in fetishistic ceremonies. The natives use an infusion of Iboga root scrapings as a potent philter that enables one to discover hidden things and to tell the future. The one who drinks it falls into a deep sleep during which he is obsessed by uninterrupted dreams which, until the time that he awakens, he takes to be actual events..."(5)

Iboga has a central role in the West Central African Bwiti religion which is one of the three official religions in Gabon today. It has been involved in many Bwiti ceremonies, festivals and rites for hundreds of years.(4) Out of these rites and ceremonies, the initiation ceremony is considered one of the most important and usually involves the ingestion of high doses of Iboga by the new initiate. In this ceremony the young men take Iboga for extended periods, sometimes up to three days, in order to become members of the religion. During the ceremony, a few designated members remain close to the initiate to monitor his condition while musicians playing drums and harps are also close by. Iboga is believed to allow the spirit to travel to the land of the dead and learn about past lives and the consequences of past actions. After the initiation ceremony, the initiate wakes up to what is considered a new life and relates the journey with other members.(1)(3)
It is sometimes taken in lower doses as well after initiation by some as a stimulant to aid in hunting and is also used in some special ceremonies to heal sick people or drive out evil spirits.(1)
Iboga is also consumed by the entire community on night ceremonies or Ngoze which are nights that are designated for communal sharing, celebration and religious fervor. The ceremony lasts all night and by the end the community is said to share in a blissful feeling of collective unity and love. This state is called "Nlem Myore" by Bwitists which literally means "One heart only" and describes a state of emotional flow where people understand each other as they share a feeling of oneness and good will toward each other.(3)
In the United States, recently Howard Lotsof of New York began patenting Ibogaine, the plant`s most active chemical, for drug addiction treatment in 1985. He also campaigned for FDA approval for this use between 1982 and 1994. Despite poor financial support, experimental treatment for addiction and further research on Ibogaine are still being carried out today.(2)

Plant Description

Tabernanthe iboga is a small, evergreen, bushy, rainforest shrub that usually grows to a height of 2 m but given the right conditions it can grow up to 10 m tall into a small tree. It has small green leaves and its flowers are pink and white. The fruit are elongated and orange in color. Its roots are yellow and contain ibogaine in the highest concentration.(1)

Legal Remarks

This product is illegal or somehow problematic to send to the following countries. Click on the country link for further information.

• Poland
• Australia
• Reunion
• Romania
• Belgium
• Sweden
• United States
• France
• Switzerland

References

(1) Tabernanthe iboga, Wikipedia
(2) Extraction studies of Tabernanthe iboga and Voacanga africana., Jenks CW.
(3) The Bwiti Religion and the psychoactive plant Tabernanthe iboga (Equatorial Africa), Giorgio Samorini
(4) Bwiti, Wikipedia
(5) Pharmacodynamics and Therapeutic Applications of Iboga and Ibogaine, Robert Goutarel, Otto Gollnhofer and Roger Sillans.

Articles

Any information provided about products on this website, including any links to external websites, is purely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and should never be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the products.

Bwiti
Howard Lotsof
Ibogaine
Tabernanthe iboga - Erowid
The Ibogaine Dossier

Related Products

Iboga, Rite of Passage (DVD) (Ben de Loenen)

Mimosa hostilis / Jurema / Leguminosae (Pea family)

Information

This product is not sold or intended for the purpose of human consumption or cosmetic use. Any information provided about this product on this website, including any links to external websites, are solely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and must not be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the product. The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and the product is not intended to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease." The use and application of this product, based on the historical and scientific context provided in the product descriptions and articles, is solely at the customer's risk. This product is a botanical specimen of ethnographic value and interest only and is delivered with no express or implied fitness for any purpose. The product descriptions are compiled from sources we deemed to be reliable up to the date it was written but may contain omissions or errors in fact, or become outdated. It outlines the documented history of uses but should no way be construed to make any medical claims about the ability or efficacy of any of these plants to treat, prevent or mitigate any disease or condition. Although a plant may have a long history of being used for a particular purpose, scientific evidence proving its efficacy for that purpose may be lacking.

Other Names

Mimosa, Jurema, Jurema preta, Vinho da Jurema.

Description

In North-eastern Brazil, this plant is called "Jurema", a common flowering Leguminous tree. Most of them are American, although some occur in Africa and Asia. Jurema is native only to the dry regions of eastern Brazil. Jurema has been used as an entheogenic beverage since time immemorial. In the eighteenth and nineteenth century, "Vinho da Jurema" was reported several times. Later, its use was thought to be extinct. It evidently went underground, although truly indigenous tribes using Jurema probably also became extinct as its use has later only been reported among "mixed" populations. In 1964 Mimosa hostilis was identified as the source of Jurema. Especially the inner root-bark has a high tryptamine content.

Contents

N,N Dimethyltryptamine was originally isolated from the bark of M. hostilis in 1946. However the authors then named it nigerine after the entheogenic beverage made from the plant. In 1959 nigerine was actually discovered to be N,N Dimethyltryptamine (Pachter et al, 1959). Other compounds found in Mimosa tenuiflorae which is believed to be another name for M. hostilis include yuremamine, a new type of phytoindole. This compound may be responsible for the supposed oral activity of cold water infusions of this plant unlike Ayahuasca brews which involve Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor plants in combination with DMT containing plants (Vepslaainen et al 2005). The bark of M. tenuiflorae also contains tannins and triterpenoidal saponins. These compounds are believed to be responsible for the antimicrobial and wound healing properties of the plant bark. "Recently, clinical studies performed at Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) hospitals with a standardized tannin content extract obtained from Mimosae tenuiflora bark showed excellent therapeutic properties on being applied in the treatment of skin venous leg ulcerations," (Rivera-Arce et al, 2007).

Historical

The Jurema brew the Indians drink is not Mimosa Hostilis, but the root bark from Mimosa Verrucosa. Different tribes will call Mimosa Hostilis, the Jurema Negra and Mimosa Verrucosa, the Jurema Branca, while other tribes call Mimosa Verrucosa, the Jurema Negra. This means that when an Indian says that they drink Jurema Negra, it does not necessarily mean they are drinking Mimosa Hostilis, but Mimosa Verrucosa which is called both: Jurema Branca and Jurema Negra. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, there were a number of reports from North-eastern Brazil of the use of an inebriating beverage called Vinho da Jurema (Goncalves de Lima 1946), a use said to be extinct today (Schultes and Hofmann 1980) but evidently continuing underground (Da Mota 1987). In 1964, the botanical source of Vinho da Jurema was identified as the roots of Mimosa Hostilis.

Plant Description

Mimosa tenuiflora is a perennial evergreen shrub native to the northeastern region of Brazil and found as far north as southern Mexico. It is one of scores of Mimosa species and cognates. The white, fragrant flowers occur in loosely cylindrical spikes. The fern-like branches have leaves that are finely pinnate, growing to 5 cm long. The brittle fruits average 3 cm long. The plant itself grows to 4 meters in height.

Legal Remarks

This product is illegal or somehow problematic to send to the following countries. Click on the country link for further information.

• Poland
• Reunion
• Bulgaria
• Lithuania
• Ukraine
• France

References

- I.J. Pachter, D.E. Zacharias, O. Ribeiro, "Indole Alkaloids of Acer saccharinum (the Silver Maple), Dictyloma incanescens, Piptadenia columbrina, and Mimosa hostilis", J. Org. Chem. 24
- Vepsalainen, JJ; Auriola, S; Tukiainen, M; Ropponen, N; Callaway, JC, Isolation and characterization of yuremamine, a new phytoindole
- Rivera-Arce, E (Rivera-Arce, E.); Gattuso, M (Gattuso, M.); Alvarado, R (Alvarado, R.); Zarate, E (Zarate, E.); Aguero, J (Agueero, J.); Feria, I (Feria, I.); Lozoya, X (Lozoya, X.), Pharmacognostical studies of the plant drug Mimosae tenuiflorae cortex, JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY
- Mimosa, Erowid
- Peter Stafford, Psychedelics Encyclopedia
- Jonathan Ott, Pharmacotheon

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