Banisteriopsis caapi
Banisteriopsis caapi, also known as ayahuasca, caapi or yagé, is a South American liana of the family Malpighiaceae. It is used to prepare ayahuasca, a decoction with a long history of its entheogenic use and its status as a "plant teacher" among the indigenous peoples of the Amazon rainforest.
| Banisteriopsis caapi | |
|---|---|
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| Taxonomical nomenclature | |
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Unranked | Angiosperms |
| Unranked | Eudicots |
| Unranked | Rosids |
| Order | Malpighiales |
| Family | Malpighiaceae |
| Genus | Banisteriopsis |
| Species | B. caapi |
| Common nomenclature | |
| Common names | Ayahuasca, Caapi or Yagé |
| Constituents | |
| Active constituents | Harmala alkaloid |
History and culture
Research
The alkaloids of Banisteriopsis caapi, the plant source of the Amazonian hallucinogen ayahuasca, stimulate adult neurogenesis in vitro.[1]
In September 2020, a in vitro and in vivo study showed that DMT present in the ayahuasca infusion promotes neurogenesis.[2]
Chemistry
Banisteriopsis caapi (also known as ayahuasca, caapi or yajé) is a South American jungle vine of the family Malpighiaceae. It contains harmine, harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine in the following proportions:
- Harmine: 0.31-8.43%
- Harmaline: 0.03-0.83%
- Proanthocyanidins (less known MAOIs)
- (−)-epicatechin
- (−)-procyanidins
- Tetrahydroharmine: 0.05-2.94%
Toxicity and harm potential
Dangerous interactions
Cholinergics
Cholinergic substances combined with Banisteriopsis caapi can cause a cholinergic crisis because the plant contains acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs):
See also
External links
- Harmala alkaloids
Literature
- Morales-García, J. A., de la Fuente Revenga, M., Alonso-Gil, S., Rodríguez-Franco, M. I., Feilding, A., Perez-Castillo, A., & Riba, J. (2017). The alkaloids of Banisteriopsis caapi, the plant source of the Amazonian hallucinogen Ayahuasca, stimulate adult neurogenesis in vitro. Scientific Reports, 7(1), 5309. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-05407-9
References
- ↑ https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-05407-9
- ↑ Morales-Garcia, JA; Calleja-Conde, J; Lopez-Moreno, JA; Alonso-Gil, S; Sanz-SanCristobal, M; Riba, J; Perez-Castillo, A (28 September 2020). "N,N-dimethyltryptamine compound found in the hallucinogenic tea ayahuasca, regulates adult neurogenesis in vitro and in vivo". Translational psychiatry. 10 (1): 331. doi:10.1038/s41398-020-01011-0. PMID 32989216.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19784581