Iresine herbstii

[Cyjack]

Would anyone know anything about this plant? Ref: http://toptropicals.com/html/toptropicals/...les/special.htm (half way down)

Cant find ethnobotanical info on it - besides the snip from the link. I have some here, but had no idea it could be used as a medicine. tia -

[shamantra]

if i remember correctly this specie is written about in (last issue?) journal of ethnopharmacology.

[Cyjack]

Thanks shamantra - your response triggered a new idea and I found this -

http://www.physiologics.com/herbclip/review.asp?i=43560

Cheers -

[t st tantra]

think i've read of an iresine sp being beleived to be an ingredient of cimora ,a san pedro brew containing other plants too,but no one seems to really know much about it.

t s t .

[Cyjack]

I have come across a study called "Ethnomedical field study in northern Peruvian Andes with particular reference to divination practices" in which Iresine herbstii is mentioned -

I.herbstii was reported as an additive of ayahuasca (Bianchi and Samorini, 1993), as an ingrediant of San Pedro decoction, with possible hallucinogenic properties (Schultes and Hofmann, 1973) and as specific remedies for mental illness(Friedberg, 1960).

Also some other remarks about it being used in magic and such... seems to be a neurosedative of some type, or at least, can be used as one. Not sure why... The text is too heavy for me tho...

[ferret]

Journal of Ethnopharmacology

Volume 105, Issue 3, 24 May 2006, Pages 352-357

Affinity of Iresine herbstii and Brugmansia arborea extracts on different cerebral receptors

Cristina Nencinia, Federica Cavallob, Giancarlo Brunia, Anna Capassob,

Iresine herbstii Hook. (Amaranthaceae) and Brugmansia arborea (L.) Lagerheim (Solanaceae) are used in the northern Peruvian Andes for magic-therapeutical purposes. The traditional healers use Iresine herbstii with the ritual aim to expel bad spirits from the body. Furthermore, Iresine herbstii was used in association with other plants, such as Trichocereus pachanoi Britt. et Rose, for divination, to diagnose diseases, and to take possession of another identity. Also, species of Brugmansia have been reported to be used during ritual practices for magical and curative purposes. Given the above evidence, the aim of the present study is to evaluate if the central effects of Iresine herbstii and Brugmansia arborea could be associated with interaction with SNC receptors. Two Iresine herbstii extracts (methanolic and aqueous) and one Brugmansia arborea aqueous extract were tested for in vitro affinity on 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A, 5-HT2C, D1, D2, α1, and α2 receptors by radioligand binding assays. The biological materials for binding assay (cerebral cortex) were taken from male Sprague–Dawley rats. The extracts affinity for receptors is definite as inhibition percentage of radioligand/receptor binding and measured as the radioactivity of remaining complex radioligand/receptor. The data obtained for Iresine extracts have shown a low affinity for the 5-HT1A receptor and no affinity for 5-HT2A receptor. Otherwise the methanolic extract showed affinity for 5-HT2C receptor (IC50: 34.78 μg/ml) and for D1 receptor (IC50: 19.63 μg/ml), instead the Iresine aqueous extract displayed a lower affinity for D1 (48.3% at the maximum concentration tested) and a higher value of affinity for D2 receptors (IC50: 32.08 μg/ml). The Brugmansia aqueous extract displayed affinity for D1 receptors (IC50: 17.68 μg/ml), D2 receptors (IC50: 15.95 μg/ml) and weak affinity for the serotoninergic receptors. None of the three extracts showed relevant affinity to the α1, and α2 receptors. The results of our experiments indicate that Iresine herbstii methanolic extract was able to interact with the central 5-HT2C and D1 receptors and Iresine herbstii aqueous extract showed affinity for D2 receptors, thus confirming their ritual use. Instead Brugmansia arborea was able to interact only with the central dopamine receptors tested. Parallel studies are currently in progress for evaluating the extracts affinity and active components towards these and other receptor types (GABAergic).

Edited August 29, 2007 by ferret

[fyzygy]

De Feo and Capasso (1996, 2002) studied the pharmacological effects on the central nervous system of rats, noting probable psychotropic effects. It has been ascribed to "black magic" practices among traditional healers in Peru (as an adjunct to San Pedro). Scientists have isolated various interesting compounds including novel viroids and isoflavones.  https://booksc.org/s/iresine herbstii

 

Christian Rätsch reports, in The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants: "Various species of this genus are used in South America as ayahuasca additives. Some species, under the name cimora or timora, are added to San Pedro drinks... Iresine species also are said to be the main ingredient or at least one of the main ingredients in the mysterious South American magical drink cimora (Ott 1993, 409*). Unfortunately, chemical studies are lacking. Betacyanin has been detected in the herbage of the Caribbean Iresine herbstii Hook. f. (Wong 1976, 119*)."

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 12, 2022 by fyzygy