Psychoactive Plant Database - Neuroactive Phytochemical Collection

1. Forensic Sci Med Pathol. 2021 Mar;17(1):126-129. doi: 
10.1007/s12024-020-00342-0. Epub 2021 Jan 12.

Death due to consumption of ibogaine: case report.

Aćimović T(1), Atanasijević T(2), Denić K(2), Lukić V(2), Popović V(2), 
Bogdanović M(2).

Author information:
(1)Institute of Forensic Medicine "Milovan Milovanović", School of Medicine, 
University of Belgrade, Deligradska 31a, Belgrade, Serbia. 
tijana.durmic@med.bg.ac.rs.
(2)Institute of Forensic Medicine "Milovan Milovanović", School of Medicine, 
University of Belgrade, Deligradska 31a, Belgrade, Serbia.

Ibogaine is a psychotropic indole alkaloid extracted from the roots of the 
Tabernanthe iboga shrub from the Apocynaceae family. Depending on the taken 
dose, it can lead to stimulant effects, euphoria, visual and auditory 
hallucinations, along with auditory, olfactory, and gustatory synesthesia. In 
addition to its historical usage in spiritual rituals of African tribes, these 
days iboga extract presents a prohibited, alternative drug widely used as a part 
of addiction treatment. Ibogaine used in opioid withdrawal is associated with 
serious side effects and sudden deaths. Besides its main use as an 
anti-addiction medication in alternative medicine, in moderate doses (from 100mg 
to 1g) ibogaine most commonly causes a "trance-like state".In this paper, we 
report the case of a heroin addict who died suddenly 5-12 hours after oral 
ingestion of powder labeled Tabernanthe iboga which had been bought online and 
used in the process of detoxification during an addiction treatment. The man was 
found dead in a rented apartment, where he was undergoing the addiction 
treatment.External examination revealed no lesions other than nonspecific 
injuries on the legs. The autopsy showed congestion of internal organs and 
pulmonary edema. Histopathological analysis of the heart showed neither 
macroscopic nor microscopic abnormalities. The concentration of ibogaine was 
3.26mg/L. Moreover, systematic toxicological analyses of biological samples 
showed the presence of morphine and codeine. These data suggest that death, 
which occurred unnaturally after initiation of the "treatment", was probably the 
result of the cardiovascular effects caused by the ibogaine powder.The presented 
case highlights the worldwide problem of various products being widely available 
over the internet and the danger associated with consumption thereof.

DOI: 10.1007/s12024-020-00342-0
PMID: 33433774 [Indexed for MEDLINE]


2. Chem Biodivers. 2020 May;17(5):e2000002. doi: 10.1002/cbdv.202000002. Epub
2020  Apr 29.

Quantitative Evaluation of a Mexican and a Ghanaian Tabernaemontana Species as 
Alternatives to Voacanga africana for the Production of Antiaddictive Ibogan 
Type Alkaloids.

Krengel F(1)(2), Dickinson J(3), Jenks C(4), Reyes-Chilpa R(2).

Author information:
(1)Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. 
Universidad 3000, Delegación, Coyoacán, C.P., 04360, Ciudad Universitaria, 
Ciudad de México, México.
(2)Instituto de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. 
Universidad 3000, Circuito Exterior S/N, Delegación, Coyoacán, C.P., 04510, 
Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, México.
(3)Independent Researcher, Ottawa, ON K2 K 1E8, Canada.
(4)Independent Researcher, Fair Oaks, CA, 95628, USA.

In continuation of our efforts to provide quantitative information on 
antiaddictive ibogan type alkaloid-producing Tabernaemontana species, we used 
gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to compare the alkaloid profiles of 
the barks and/or leaves of one Mexican and one African species - T. arborea and 
T. crassa, respectively, with the primary sources of commercially available 
semisynthetic ibogaine, Voacanga africana root and stem bark. The qualitative 
and quantitative similarities between T. arborea and V. africana barks 
consolidate previous reports regarding the potential of the former as a 
promising alternative source of voacangine and ibogaine. The results also 
suggest that T. crassa could be used to produce conopharyngine and ibogaline, 
two compounds with the same basic skeletal structure and possibly similar 
antiaddictive properties as ibogaine.

© 2020 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.

DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202000002
PMID: 32232967 [Indexed for MEDLINE]


3. J Anal Toxicol. 2006 Sep;30(7):434-40. doi: 10.1093/jat/30.7.434.

Distribution of ibogaine and noribogaine in a man following a poisoning 
involving root bark of the Tabernanthe iboga shrub.

Kontrimaviciūte V(1), Mathieu O, Mathieu-Daudé JC, Vainauskas P, Casper T, 
Baccino E, Bressolle FM.

Author information:
(1)Clinical Pharmacokinetic Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, University 
Montpellier I, France.

In the present paper, we report for the first time the tissue distribution of 
ibogaine and noribogaine, the main metabolite of ibogaine, in a 48-year-old 
Caucasian male, with a history of drug abuse, found dead at his home after a 
poisoning involving the ingestion of root bark from the shrub Tabernanthe iboga. 
Ibogaine and noribogaine were quantified in tissues and fluids using a fully 
validated liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry method. Apart 
from cardiac tissue, ibogaine and noribogaine were identified in all matrices 
investigated. The highest concentrations were found in spleen, liver, brain, and 
lung. The tissue/subclavian blood concentration ratios averaged 1.78, 3.75, 
1.16, and 4.64 for ibogaine and 0.83, 2.43, 0.90, and 2.69 for noribogaine for 
spleen, liver, brain, and lung, respectively. Very low concentrations of the two 
drugs were found in the prostatic tissue. Both ibogaine and noribogaine are 
secreted in the bile and cross the blood-brain barrier. Four other compounds 
were detected in most of the studied matrices. One of them was identified as 
ibogamine. Unfortunately, we were not able to positively identify the other 
three compounds because of the unavailability of reference substances. Two of 
them could possibly be attributed to the following oxidation products: 
iboluteine and desmethoxyiboluteine. The third compound could be ibogaline.

DOI: 10.1093/jat/30.7.434
PMID: 16959135 [Indexed for MEDLINE]


4. Bioorg Med Chem. 2005 Jun 2;13(12):4092-5. doi: 10.1016/j.bmc.2005.03.045.

Indole alkaloids from Tabernaemontana australis (Muell. Arg) Miers that inhibit 
acetylcholinesterase enzyme.

Andrade MT(1), Lima JA, Pinto AC, Rezende CM, Carvalho MP, Epifanio RA.

Author information:
(1)Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Centro de 
Tecnologia, Bloco A, Cidade Universitária, 21945-970 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.

Ten indole alkaloids from the chloroform extract of stalk of Tabernaemontana 
australis (Muell. Arg) Miers were tentatively identified by GC-MS, viz., 
coronaridine (1), voacangine (2), voacangine hydroxyindolenine (3), rupicoline 
(4), ibogamine (5), ibogaine (6), ibogaline (7), desethyl-voacangine (8), 
voachalotine (9), and affinisine (10). Of these, the first four were isolated by 
silica gel open column chromatography, identified by uni- and bidimensional NMR, 
IR, MS and showed anti-cholinesterasic activity at the same concentration as the 
reference compounds physostigmine and galanthamine (detection limit of 0.01mM) 
by TLC assay using the modified Ellman's method.

DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2005.03.045
PMID: 15911323 [Indexed for MEDLINE]


5. Nat Prod Lett. 2002 Feb;16(1):71-6. doi: 10.1080/1057563029001/4881.

Extraction studies of Tabernanthe iboga and Voacanga africana.

Jenks CW(1).

Author information:
(1)cwj@earthling.net

The root bark of Tabernanthe iboga contains ibogaine as its predominant alkaloid 
and has been an important source of it. Ibogaine is used experimentally to 
interrupt drug addiction and allow therapeutic intervention, but is currently 
unaffordable to doctors in less economically developed countries. To meet this 
need, an extraction of alkaloids from T. iboga root bark was optimized and 
simplified to use only diluted vinegar and ammonia, and was successfully applied 
to related alkaloids from Voacanga africana bark also. The alkaloids were 
converted to their hydrochlorides and purified, and the minor alkaloids were 
recovered.

DOI: 10.1080/1057563029001/4881
PMID: 11942686 [Indexed for MEDLINE]