Tabernaemontana africana Root Powder
This small to medium sized trees can reach a maximum height of up to 15 m, but ranges between 4 and 8 m on average. It has a single, slender straight trunk with smooth grayish-brown bark. This tree can be found growing in forest areas, such as riverine forests in the coastal areas of KwaZulu-Natal . It is also found in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The bark of this tree is said to be used for bringing down a fever and the sap can be used to treat wounds and sore eyes. The pulp of the ripe fruit is edible. The latex found in the tree is used by some people as birdlime. Wood is suitable to manufacture planks from and is said to be insect-proof.
The genus name Tabernaemontana is taken from the name of a 16 th Century physician and herbalist, Jacob Theodore. He latinized his name to Tabernaemontanus. Ventricosa refers to having a swelling on one side, being pot-bellied and probably refers to the shape of the fruits.
The root bark is the part of the plant that is used mostly, it is reported to contain up to twelve alkaloids, with Ibogaine being by far the major alkaloid, and apparently responsible for most of the activity, other alkaloids reported include Tabernanthine, Ibogamine, Coronaridine and Voacangine. The dried root bark has been found to contain up to 5-6 % alkaloids, which may even be lower than for fresh material due to some of the alkaloids oxidising as the material dries.
Ibogaine is reported to be a cholinesterase inhibitor here, which in people causes mainly hypotension due to decreased cardiac output and stimulation of digestion and appetite. Its use as a stimulant and aphrodisiac, and in larger amounts as a divinatory medicine, with some similarities to the use of both ayahuasca and peyote on the American continent.
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