''Vachellia rigidula'', commonly known as blackbrush acacia or chaparro prieto, and also known as ''Acacia rigidula'', is a species of shrub or small tree in the

legume Legumes are plants in the pea family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seeds of such plants. When used as a dry grain for human consumption, the seeds are also called pulses. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consum ...

family,

Fabaceae Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomen ...

. Its native range stretches from

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

south to central

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. This perennial is not listed as being threatened. It reaches a height of . Blackbrush acacia grows on

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

hillsides and canyons.

Phytochemistry

A phytochemical study of ''V. rigidula'' by workers at the Texas A & M University Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Uvalde, TX, reported the presence of over forty

alkaloids Alkaloids are a broad class of naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. Some synthetic compounds of similar structure may also be termed alkaloids. Alkaloids are produced by a large variety of organisms i ...

, including low amounts (up to around 15 ppm) of several phenolic amines that had previously been found by the same research group in the related species ''

Senegalia berlandieri ''Senegalia berlandieri'' (Berlandier acacia, guajillo acacia, guajillo, huajillo, huajilla) is a shrub native to the Southwestern United States and northeast Mexico that belongs to the Mimosoid clade of Fabaceae. It grows tall, with blossoms ...

'', but which otherwise are known only as products of laboratory synthesis. Compounds found in the highest concentrations (ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand ppm) were

phenethylamine Phenethylamine (PEA) is an organic compound, natural monoamine alkaloid, and trace amine, which acts as a central nervous system stimulant in humans. In the brain, phenethylamine regulates monoamine neurotransmission by binding to trace ami ...

tryptamine Tryptamine is an indolamine metabolite of the essential amino acid tryptophan. The chemical structure is defined by an indole—a fused benzene and pyrrole ring, and a 2-aminoethyl group at the second carbon (third aromatic atom, with the firs ...

tyramine Tyramine ( ) (also spelled tyramin), also known under several other names, is a naturally occurring trace amine derived from the amino acid tyrosine. Tyramine acts as a catecholamine releasing agent. Notably, it is unable to cross the bl ...

, and

β-Methylphenethylamine β-Methylphenethylamine (β-Me-PEA, BMPEA, or 1-amino-2-phenylpropane) is an organic compound of the phenethylamine class, and a positional isomer of the drug amphetamine, with which it shares some properties. In particular, both amphetamine a ...

(that it can be misidentified as amphetamine). Other notable compounds reported were ''N'',''N''-dimethyltryptamine,

mescaline Mescaline, also known as mescalin or mezcalin, and in chemical terms 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine, is a natural product, naturally occurring psychedelic drug, psychedelic alkaloid, protoalkaloid of the substituted phenethylamine class, found ...

, and

nicotine Nicotine is a natural product, naturally produced alkaloid in the nightshade family of plants (most predominantly in tobacco and ''Duboisia hopwoodii'') and is widely used recreational drug use, recreationally as a stimulant and anxiolytic. As ...

, although these were found in low concentrations (e.g. mescaline at 3-28 ppm). The presence of such an unprecedented chemical range of

psychoactive A psychoactive drug, psychopharmaceutical, mind-altering drug, consciousness-altering drug, psychoactive substance, or psychotropic substance is a chemical substance that alters psychological functioning by modulating central nervous system acti ...

compounds, including ones not previously found in nature, in a single plant species has led to the suggestion that some of these findings may have resulted from cross-contamination or were possibly artifacts of the analytical technique.

Uses

''Vachellia rigidula'' is used in weight loss

dietary supplement A dietary supplement is a manufactured product intended to supplement a person's diet by taking a pill (pharmacy), pill, capsule (pharmacy), capsule, tablet (pharmacy), tablet, powder, or liquid. A supplement can provide nutrients eithe ...

s because of the presence of chemical compounds claimed to stimulate beta-receptors to increase

lipolysis Lipolysis is the metabolic pathway through which lipid triglycerides are hydrolysis, hydrolyzed into a glycerol and free fatty acids. It is used to mobilize stored energy during fasting or exercise, and usually occurs in Adipose tissue, fat adip ...

and metabolic rate and decrease appetite. ''Vachellia rigidula'' is also known as a large honey producer and early blooming plant for its native region.

Safety

In 2015, 52% of supplements labeled as containing ''Acacia rigidula'' were found to be adulterated with synthetic BMPEA, an

amphetamine Amphetamine (contracted from Alpha and beta carbon, alpha-methylphenethylamine, methylphenethylamine) is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy, an ...

isomer. Consumers following recommended maximum daily servings would consume a maximum of 94 mg of BMPEA per day. In 2012, however, the FDA determined that BMPEA was not naturally present in ''Acacia rigidula'' leaves.

Gallery

File:Acacia rigidula seeds.jpg, Seeds File:Acacia-rigidula-branch.jpg, Foliage File:Acacia-rigidula-bark.jpg, Bark

References

External links

Range Shrubs
rigidula Plants described in 1842 Shrubs Entheogens Forages Trees of Northern America {{Mimosoideae-stub