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Epena, Yopo
(notes)
Yopo is also known as Cohoba Snuff. It comes from the beans of a tree legume, Anadenanthera peregrina, and Anadenanthera columbrina. Anadenanthera is frequently referred to as Piptadenia in the literature. Epena comes from the bark sap of a plant in the nutmeg family, Virola calophylla.
RIVIER,L
Indole Protoalkaloids Metabolism in Anadenanthera Peregrina Seeds.(abstract).
Planta Med 39:215b-. (1980)
SCHULTES,RE: HOLMSTEDT,B: LINDGREN,JE: RIVIER,L
Phytochemical Examination of Spruce's Ethnobotanical Collection of Anadenanthera Peregrina.
Bot Mus Leafl Harv Univ 25:273- (1977)
SCHULTES; HOFMANN
Indole alkaloids in plant hallucinogens.
Journal of Psychedelic Drugs Jan-Mar 1976 p 17
Anadenanthera peregrina, PHOTO:seeds collected in Puerto Rico; PHOTO:tree in Boa Vista, Territorio de Roraima, Brazil. Yopo Snuff:Orinoco basin, Colombia & Venezuela, possibly isolated areas in the southern part of the Brazilian Amazon. The tree grows in open plain areas, not in tropical forests. It was early taken by invading Indians to the West Indies, where even today its distribution indicates its adventitious nature. Hispaniola. Mimosa hostilis: 'dry parts of Pernambuco, Brazil'.
SCHULTES; HOFMANN
The Chemistry of Epena
Plants of the Gods; pg 170
THE CHEMISTRY OF EPENA: The chemical analysis of various Virola snuffs revealed about a half-dozen closely related indole alkaloids belonging to the simple, open-chained or closed-ring tryptamine derivatives with a tetrahydro-beta-carboline system. The main constituents of these snuffs are 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine and N,N-dimethyltryptamine. 6-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, monomethyltryptamine, and 2-methyl- and 1,2-dimethyl-6-methoxy-tetrahydro-beta-carbolene usually occur only in trace amounts. The alkaloid mixtures are almost identical to those isolated from the Anadenanthera snuffs.
SCHULTES; HOFMANN
The Chemistry of Yopo
Plants of the Gods; pg 118
THE CHEMISTRY OF YOPO: The active principals of Anadenanthera belong to both open-chained and ring tryptamine derivatives and, therefore, to the important class of indole alkaloids. Tryptamine is also the basic compound of the amino acid tryptophane, widely distributed in the Animal Kingdom. Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and 5-hydroxydimethyltryptamine (bufotenine) are representatives of the open-chained Anadenanthera tryptamines. Bufotenine has also been found in the skin secretion of a toad (Bufo sp.) - hence its name. Ringed tryptamine derivatives found in Anadenanthera are 2-methyl- and 1,2-dimethyl-6-methoxytetrahydro-beta-carboline.
STROMBERG VL
Isolation of Bufotenine from Piptadenia peregrina.
Journal American Chemical Society Vol.26 (March 1954)
The inhalation of narcotic snuff by the natives of Haiti was a common practice at the time of the discovery of the West Indies. This snuff, called cohoba, was used by the necromancers or priests in their ceremonies and was supposed to enable them to communicate with unseen powers. ... Piptadenia peregrina seeds, 891 grams, secured from Las Mesas, Puerto Rico... Through the Agricultural Research Service, Plant Exporation and Introduction, United States Department of Agriculture.
STROMBERG, VERNER L
The Isolation of Bufotenine from Pipatdenia peregrina.
Journal of the American Chemical Society; Vol 76 pg 1707 (20-Mar-1954)
The inhalation of a narcotic snuff by the natives of Haiti was a common practice at the time of the discovery of the West Indies. This snuff, called cohoba, was used by the necromancers or priests in their ceremonies and was supposed to enable them to communicate with unseen powers. The ceremonial use of cohoba was described as early as 1496 by Ramon Pane who was with Columbus on his second voyage, but in later years cohoba was confused with tobacco. The chemistry of this snuff has never been studied although the leguminous shrub Piptadenia peregrina is now known to be its source. [1] In the present work there was isolated from the seeds of this plant a crystalline organic base, m.p. 146-147ø, with empirical formula C12H16N2O in 0.94% yield. The ultraviolet absorption spectrum in 0.1 N hydrochloric acid showed a maximum at 295 mæ, a shoulder with a second maximum at 247 mæ. In 0.1 N sodium hydroxide the absorption spectrum shows a shift of the second maximum to 322 mæ. This shift is similar to that observed for the vasoconstrictor 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin). [2] A methiodide, picrate, oxalate and m-nitrobenzoate were prepared. The melting points were in good agreement with the literature values for bufotenine. ... The infrared absorption spectrum of the picrate was identical to that of a picrate of a synthetic sample kindly supplied by Dr. M. E. Speeter of the Upjohn Company. The seeds of Piptadenia peregrina evidently comstitute an excellent source of bufotenine. The leaves and branches do not give an alkaloid test with Meyer's or silicotungstic acid reagents. The seed pods give only a slight positive test.
The Genus Anadenanthera in Amerindian Cultures. Siri von Reis Altshul, Ph.D. Botanical Museum, Harvard University. Cambridge MA. 1972? 96 pages. velobound in Ethnobotany and Shamanism in South America. [box v4]
USDA
Trees of Puerto Rico and The Virgin Islands. Second Volume
Forest Service US Dept. of Agriculture Handbook No. 449 QK486.P8 L52 pg985
66. Coj•bana, Piptadenia peregrina (L.) Benth. Perhaps introduced by prehistoric Indians. Additional botanical synonym. - Anadenanthera peregrina (L.) Speg.
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