Camellia sinensis as quid

[Roopey]

I was thinking a lot last night about the chewing plants and that there are probably a great deal of plants that if you chew on a specific part of them, it will have psychoactive activity (especially when you consider the recent research being done into essential oils by a lot of members here.) There are just some plants out there that when taken in the right way it will have an overwhelming effect on your conscious mind, and they are very common plants, Basil, Lemon, Nutmeg, Clove, Black Pepper, and many, many more.

Well as I was thinking about all of this, my tea tree that I planted out the front last year popped into my head and told me to chew on her leaves. So this morning, I woke up and prepared myself and went and collected about 8 leaves and rolled them into a quid for chewing. I thanked the plant for healing me, and I chewed away for about 10-15 minutes at which point I was practically forced to spit out the quid by my body. It had a very astringent and bitter taste and reminded me a bit of Khat, but bitter. The effects on me were amazing, and I am still feelings them as I write this now. It has stimulated past the effects of chewing on a few quids of Khat leaves, clarified the mind, and slightly altered my perception.

I was hoping that more of you out there that have some tea growing to test it out and confirm that these effects are not a placebo. I will be further experimenting and sharing with friends for more feed-back, but it makes perfect sense that this very sacred plant would be a powerful stimulant and mood enhancer when taken in this way.

Chemicals constituents:

http://www.ars-grin....uke/farmacy2.pl

Roop

Edited November 18, 2012 by Roopey

[Yeti101]

the Duke page might made me do the search again - so for others in that situation just use this: http://www.ars-grin.gov/duke/plants.html

Fresh green tea leaves have a lot of interesting things in them, I agree! When you search choose the option of 'print activities with chemicals'.

I'll try this tomorrow as I've already had a bit of caffeine today and that may skew the result.

[mindperformer]

Camellia sinensis it used as quid in its region of origin, Yunnan and the northern golden triangle. It is called sour tea or Suancha, because it is fermented in a bamboo tube.

Some tribes make this kind of tea in the region: the Bulang, De'ang and others

The Jinuo make salad tea.

http://www.gokunming...e_bulang_people

My Camellia sinensis:

The related Camellia japonica in flower:

Camellia japonica does not contain Catechin-bounded Caffeine like C. sinensis, but acts against HIV. There was found Camelliatannin H in the fruits, which is a strong HIV- protease inhibitor.

It was also grown for Tsubaki oil pressed from the seed. There was also found anticancer activity and antimicrobial effects of the leaves.

Edited November 20, 2012 by mindperformer

[Roopey]

Great info, it's good to know that tea was taken this way traditionally. The effects are still exciting me, yet my tea tree, or should I say tea shrub, is not very big and will need a few years before I can properly experiment with this.

Maybe tea tree EO still has a very similar effect, does anyone know if all the caffeine is still in the EO?

[mindperformer]

I think the caffeine is still in it, because it is more stable than the catechins (the CNS-active EGCG and others).

The CNS-active Theanine occurs mainly in green tea.

[mindperformer]

Some actives of tea:

...it also depends on the variety, as there are hundrets

EGCG: Epigallocatechin gallate, can induce anxiolytic activity which could result from interaction with GABAA- receptor. Additionally it has weak affinity for CB1- cannabinoid- receptors (Ki= 33,6 microM)

It also has antibacterial and antiviral effects (also against HIV).

There occur also the simpler Catechins like Gallotannin, which are also active in various ways. -this substances, including EGCG come under the Polyphenols and the content of them is 85% higher in wild teas.

L-Theanin: This amino acid shows tremendous potential for calming, protecting and restoring the brain, enhances flavours like glutamate and induces deep stages of relaxation without sedation, increased focused attention and improve learning, relieve nicotine addiction and promote sleep. It acts on glutamate receptors and stimulates the release of nerve growth factor (NGF). It releases GABA and enhances dopamine and serotonin. It waf also found to have affinity on NMDA- receptors.

Pu-erh- and black tea contains more Theaflavin, Puerin A and Thearubigin

Oolong tea contains 8-c-Ascorbyl-(-)-epigallocatechin, which is a strong viral inhibitor and Theasinensins, Oolongtheanin, Oolong homo bis-flavan and Puerin A

Theasinensin D (in black and oolong tea) inhibits HIV

Flavonol glycosides like Apigenin- Myricetin- and Quercetin glycoside also play a great role, as they are anxiolytic and more. Black and Pu-erh- teas have more of them.

Some curiosities:

Monkey picked tea... in China they train monkeys to pick tea from bold cliffs

Wild tea from Korea... it is discussed if the allegedly wild tea trees, found in Korea, are really wild and not escaped

Da Hong Pao... is one of the highest priced teas, one kilo sells for 30.000 USD. They are clones from original 3 bushes, which still grow in a rock shelter on Mt. Wuyi and cured the mother of a Ming dynasty emperor.

Tibetan Tea ...like the Jomo Langma is grown on the high plateau of Tibet, but in fertile valleys like the Yarlung Zangbo valley

Edited November 22, 2012 by mindperformer

[Yeti101]

Had to trim my tea plant recently and I tried quidding a couple of flower buds. Had a more fragrant quality than the leaves - a hint of jasmine perhaps. Got a definite effect, not at all like caffeine. There was a very slight alteration of my perception of memory continuity - I was very conscious of the 'now' (if that makes any sense at all ) and I felt a bit flushed, though that could be the ambient heat. No pupil dilation or racing heartbeat and it only lasted a short time.

[Horus]

Good research boys.........keep a chewin !

[Roopey]

I chucked a few dried leaves into the trusty old pipe the other day with some very noticeable effects and a high that lasted a good half hour.

[mindperformer]

fascinating, maybe the cannabinoid action can take place by smoking:

http://epub.uni-regensburg.de/17253/

were the leaves just dried (so white tea) or some kind of fermented tea?

Edited January 5, 2013 by mindperformer

[Roopey]

Just dried, even some were a bit sunburnt. Great tasting smoke.

[CβL]

The botanic gardens nearby have a ginormous collection of Camellia Sinensis plants, and I tasted whichever ones I thought looked interesting. I got a couple of nice cuttings of special named cultivars. I think that the young tender leaves (the same ones used for tea), are certainly the highest in actives. I'm really crap at rooting these cuttings though, so probably won't have plants for a few years. haha

[mindperformer]

its not easy to root Camellia because of the woody stems

perhaps the complex catechins break down to something psychoactive when smoked

Edited January 6, 2013 by mindperformer

[planthelper]

its not easy to root Camellia because of the woody stems

 

than look for younger, more virgorous shoots, as a choice, for your cutting material.

if the mother plant was stressed, you might not find though, any green stems.

[mindperformer]

I agree with planthelper, in the vegetative season it is possible to make cuttings from young green shoots

Edited January 7, 2013 by mindperformer

[CβL]

I assumed (incorrectly), that the cuttings could be rooted in water - even if it was just difficult. It seems that all advice says to root them in growing media, with a rooting hormone. I took the cuttings out of water, treated with rooting hormone, put into a sandy container (very small amount of nutrients), and put into a humidity chamber. Probably too late, but I'll get further cuttings, and perhaps some seedpods later if I find any.