Apocynaceae alkaloids are

natural product A natural product is a natural compound or substance produced by a living organism—that is, found in nature. In the broadest sense, natural products include any substance produced by life. Natural products can also be prepared by chemical s ...

s found in the plant family of the dogbane family (''

Apocynaceae Apocynaceae (, from '' Apocynum'', Greek for "dog-away") is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family, because some taxa were used as dog poison. Notable mem ...

'').

Occurrence

The alkaloid tabernanthin is found in '' Tabernaemontana laurifolia''. The alkaloids voacangin and voacristin were isolated from ''

Voacanga africana ''Voacanga'' is a genus of plants in the family Apocynaceae found in Africa, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and Australia. the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families recognises 13 species:Search for "Voacanga", ;Species # ''Voacanga africana' ...

''.

Representatives

Representatives include

tabernanthine Tabernanthine is an alkaloid found in ''Tabernanthe iboga''. It has been used in laboratory experiments to study how addiction affects the brain. Tabernanthine persistently reduced the self-administration of cocaine and morphine in rats. Phar ...

voacangine Voacangine (12-methoxyibogamine-18-carboxylic acid methyl ester) is an alkaloid found predominantly in the root bark of the ''Voacanga africana'' tree, as well as in other plants such as '' Tabernanthe iboga'', ''Tabernaemontana africana'', '' Tra ...

and

voacristine Voacristine is a indole alkaloid occurring in '' Voacanga'' and '' Tabernaemontana'' genus. It is also an iboga type alkaloid. Chemistry Its structure is almost similar to voacangine, an alkaloid used in semi-synthesis of ibogaine. Compared ...

. (-)-Voacangine Structural Formula V1.svg, (-)-Voacangine (-)-Voacristine Structural Formula V1.svg, (-)-Voacristine Tabernanthine Structural Formula V1.svg,

Tabernanthine Tabernanthine is an alkaloid found in ''Tabernanthe iboga''. It has been used in laboratory experiments to study how addiction affects the brain. Tabernanthine persistently reduced the self-administration of cocaine and morphine in rats. Phar ...

Uses

Plant parts of ''Voacanga africana'' are utilized by African

natives There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...

for various purposes, including as

hallucinogens Hallucinogens, also known as psychedelics, entheogens, or historically as psychotomimetics, are a large and diverse class of psychoactive drugs that can produce altered states of consciousness characterized by major alterations in thought, mo ...

, in

cult Cults are social groups which have unusual, and often extreme, religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals. Extreme devotion to a particular person, object, or goal is another characteristic often ascribed to cults. The term ...

ceremonies A ceremony (, ) is a unified ritualistic event with a purpose, usually consisting of a number of artistic components, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan origin, via the Latin . Religious and civil (secular) ceremoni ...

, and as

aphrodisiacs An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases libido, sexual desire, sexual attraction, sexual pleasure, or sexual behavior. These substances range from a variety of plants, spices, and foods to synthetic chemicals. Natural aphrodisiacs, such ...

.''Lexicon of Medicinal Plants and Drugs'', Spektrum Akademischer Verlag 1999.
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Ethnomedicinal use

decoction Decoction is a method of extraction by boiling herbal or plant material (which may include stems, roots, bark and rhizomes) to dissolve the chemicals of the material. It is the most common preparation method in various herbal medicine systems. D ...

made from the stem or root bark is employed for the treatment of mental disorders and as an

analgesic An analgesic drug, also called simply an analgesic, antalgic, pain reliever, or painkiller, is any member of the group of drugs used for pain management. Analgesics are conceptually distinct from anesthetics, which temporarily reduce, and in s ...

. The

sap Sap is a fluid transported in the xylem cells (vessel elements or tracheids) or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant. These cells transport water and nutrients throughout the plant. Sap is distinct from latex, resin, or cell sap; it is a s ...

is applied to

cavities Cavity may refer to: Biology and healthcare *Body cavity, a fluid-filled space in many animals where organs typically develop ** Gastrovascular cavity, the primary organ of digestion and circulation in cnidarians and flatworms * Dental cavity or t ...

teeth A tooth (: teeth) is a hard, calcified structure found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates and used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores and omnivores, also use teeth to help with capturing or wounding prey, tear ...

. In southeastern

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

, ''Voacanga africana'' is an integral part of numerous healing rituals.{{citation , author=M. Iwu , first=Maurice , title=Handbook of African Medicinal Plants , date=2014 , url={{GBurl, LMfMBQAAQBAJ, p=330 , edition=2. , publisher=CRC Press , isbn=978-1-46657-198-3

References

Alkaloids