entheogenic-gnosis
Rising Star
Ever since reading R.E. schultes' book "hallucinogenic plants: a golden guide" I've been curious about Maquira sclerophylla.
Schultes says a hallucinogenic snuff is prepared from the fruit of this plant, and little else. aside from some botanical descriptions and some information regarding how the natives see/use the plant, no information exists...
I figured since 1976 (date schultes published "hallucinogenic plants: a golden guide" ) we must have learned more about this plant, how ever this is not the case, it's seems we still know almost nothing...
...then the other day a person was questioning me about rapé snuffs, and there really was not much I could say, I was knowledgeable in Anadenanthera seed snuffs and Virola theiodora resin snuffs, but could say nothing about "Rapé dos Indios"
Does anybody know any humans who have consumed this plant or its preperations?
-eg
Schultes says a hallucinogenic snuff is prepared from the fruit of this plant, and little else. aside from some botanical descriptions and some information regarding how the natives see/use the plant, no information exists...
I figured since 1976 (date schultes published "hallucinogenic plants: a golden guide" ) we must have learned more about this plant, how ever this is not the case, it's seems we still know almost nothing...
MEDICINAL USES: Since so little is known about this plant, we do not have any information at present about possible medical uses, although a bark extract injected in rats induced CNS-stimulation followed by decreased activity and muscle relaxation for about 30 minutes (Voogelbreinder 2009, 250). If you have any further information on the medicinal uses of this plant, please leave a comment or send us an e-mail!
TRADITIONAL EFFECTS: The preliminary chemical investigations made so far have not indicated what the active principle of Maquira sclerophylia may be, though the tree is known to contain cardiac glycosides. The cardiac glycosides are an important class of naturally occurring chemicals whose actions include both beneficial and toxic effects on the heart. Plants containing cardiac steroids have been used as poisons and heart drugs at least since 1500 B.C. Throughout history these plants or their extracts have been variously used as arrow poisons, emetics, diuretics, and heart tonics. Cardiac steroids are widely used in the modern treatment of congestive heart failure and for treatment of atrial fibrillation and flutter. Yet their toxicity remains a serious problem. The tree is also known to contain coumarins, steroids, phenols and terpenes. No alkaloids have been isolated. The related species Maquira calophylla features a caustic latex, and the bark has been found to contain furocoumarins (De Carvalho & Lapa 1990).
The snuff made of Maquira sclerophylla is said to stimulate the central nervous system, causing euphoria and visions. However, no laboratory or pharmacological studies on humans have yet been conducted on this substance (Hofmann et al. 1992).
An experiment on mice and rats resulted in amphetamine-like effects. This was folllowed by “motor incoordination, decreased exploratory activity, ataxia and muscle relaxation” lasting around thirty minutes. The substance does not appear to be orally active. In further tests on rats, guinea-pigs and dogs, the animals were injected with a purified extract of the plant, and presented with a biphasic change in carotid blood pressure. Hypertension lasted up to thirty minutes. Guinea-pigs and dogs were more strongly affected than rats and died of heart attack. These effects resemble those of digitalis-like drugs (De Carvalho & Lapa 1990).
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Maquira sclerophylia - Rapa dos Indios - Entheology.com
Rapa Dos Indios, which means "Indian snuff", is believed to have been made from the fruit of an enormous forest tree, Maquira sclerophylla (known also as Olmedioperebea sclerophylia), part of the fig family. In the Pariana region of the central Amazon in Brazil, the indigenous peoples once...entheology.com
...then the other day a person was questioning me about rapé snuffs, and there really was not much I could say, I was knowledgeable in Anadenanthera seed snuffs and Virola theiodora resin snuffs, but could say nothing about "Rapé dos Indios"
Does anybody know any humans who have consumed this plant or its preperations?
-eg