part 3: americas and africa - dr. georges...psychoactive compounds from cacti • a number of...
TRANSCRIPT
Psychoactive Substances
GE1328 BMS CityU 2015
Part 3:
Americas and Africa
Georges M. Halpern, MD, PhD
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Mescal bean Sophora secundiflora (Fabaceae)
• The seeds of Sophora secundiflora have beenused by the American Indians of theSouthwestern U.S. as a hallucinogenic drug.
• They are also very toxic.
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Mescal bean, Sophorasecundiflora, Fabaceae
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Khat, Catha edulis, Celastraceae
• The leaves of khat (kat, qat) have been usedfor many years in the Arabian peninsula. Theleaves are chewed daily by many, and theplant is a major export of Ethiopia to Yemenand a number of nearby countries. Khat isbanned in Saudi Arabia.
• Lime is frequently added to hydrolyze thealkaloids and convert them to the free bases.The plant is probably native to Africa.
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Courtesy Dr. Abraham KrikorianCityU GE1328 2015 7
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Khat Is NOT That Safe!
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Coca, Erythroxylum coca,Erythroxylaceae
• The leaves of coca have been chewed forthousands of years by Indians of AndeanSouth America.
• The Spanish tried to prohibit coca until theyrealized that the Indians worked harder withit.
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Coca, Erythroxylum coca, Erythroxylaceae
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• In this case also, the Indians add lime tothe leaves before chewing them.
• Cocaine blocks re-adsorption ofnorepinephrine in the brain. This makesthe user feel invigorated and blocksfeelings of fatigue and hunger.
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Chemical Structure of Cocaine
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• The leaf form of coca never became popularabroad.
• In 1860, cocaine was isolated and becamepopular. It became used as a local anesthetic.
• An extract of coca leaves became used inCoca Cola. Later the FDA made the companyremove coca alkaloids from the extract.
• As a drug of abuse, cocaine may be sniffed,smoked or injected.
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Excellent Pain-Killer!
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Yagé or ayahuasca, Banisteriopsis spp., Malpighiaceae
• Yagé or ayahuasca, the resinous exudate ofthe stems of Banisteriopsis spp. is usuallymade into a drink known as yagé orayahuasca. B. caapi is one of the mostcommonly used species and is common inColombia and Ecuador. The active compoundsare harmine and other related alkaloids. Otherplants are sometimes added as synergists,i.e., to enhance the activity.
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Yagé, Banisteriopsis caapi,Malpighiaceae
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Courtesy Dr. Carl BoutonCityU GE1328 2015 24
Chemical Structure of Harmine
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Painting on/after Atahuasca
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Psychoactive compounds from cacti
• A number of species of cacti from theNew World are known to behallucinogenic. Among these are peyoteor mescal, Lophophora williamsii andTrichocereus pachanoi. The former isfrom Mexico and the latter from theAndes of South America. Mescaline isthe most common alkaloid.
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Peyote, Lophophorawilliamsii, Cactaceae
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• The Spanish also tried to suppress the use ofthese. Many Indians in Mexico and in SouthAmerica continued use of these plants, however.
• The Native American Church (chartered about1920) began use of these in religious rites muchlater (about 1890).
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Henri Michaux Mescaline Paintings
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Bad Trip
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Other hallucinogenic plants
• A snuff made from the powdered pods ofAnadananthera peregrina (Fabaceae orLeguminosae) (yopo) has been used byIndians of the Caribbean and of northernSouth America. The snuff is often mixed withlime (calcium hydroxide).
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Iboga, Tabernanthe iboga (Apocynaceae)
• Iboga is reported to be used in Africa as ahallucinogen. In Gabon and the adjacentCongo, the plant is used in religious ritesand in hunting game. There are alsoimportant medical uses for the plant. Theactive compounds are indole alkaloids.
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Iboga & Ibogaine
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END OF PART THREE
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