PDR for Herbal Medicines

HERBAL MONOGRAPHS YARROW /833

Hegnauer R, Chemotaxonomie der Pflanzen, Bde 1-11:

Birkhauser Verlag Basel, Boston, Berlin 1962-1997.

Kern W, List PH, Horhammer L (Hrsg.), Hagers Handbuch der

Pharmazeutischen Praxis, 4. Aufl., Bde 1-8: Springer Verlag

Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, 1969.

Kooiman P, (1972) Acta Bot Need. 21(4):417.

Miller FM, Chow LM, (1954) J Am Chem Soc 76:1353

Xysmalobium undulatum

See Uzara

Yage

Banisteriopsis caapi

DESCRIPTION

Medicinal Parts: The medicinal part of the plant is the bark.

Flower and Fruit: The inflorescence is multi-flowered. The

flowers are 10 to 15 mm wide with pale pink petals. Their

structures are arranged in fives. The fruit, which resembles

that of the maple, is up to 4 mm long and 0.4 mm wide. Each

of the 3 schizocarps has an 18 to 42 mm long and 8 to 22

mm wide wing.

Leaves and Stem: Banisteriopsis caapi is a hardy tree. The

leaves are opposite, 8 to 18 cm long, 3.5 to 8 cm wide, ovate

and entire. The stem is woody with a brown, smooth bark.

Habitat: The plant is native to jungle areas of the Amazon

basin.

Production: Yage bark is the dried or fresh trunk bark of

Banisteriopsis caapi.

Other Names: Ayahuasca, Vine of the Souls

ACTIONS AND PHARMACOLOGY

COMPOUNDS

Indole alkaloids (beta-carboline type): particularly harmine

(0.5 to 5.9%), harmaline (0.5 to 3.8%), tetrahydroharmine

(0.3 to 3.3%), harmol (0.05 to 1.2%), harmalol (up to 0.4%)

Pyridine alkaloids: shinunine, dihydroshinunine

EFFECTS
The alkaloid-containing drug is psychotropic and hallucino-
genic in effect, due to the harmine and harmaline it contains
(pronounced MAO-inhibition in vitro and in animal experi-
ments). Lower dosages bring on euphoric states in humans,
while higher dosages have hallucinogenic effects.

INDICATIONS AND USAGE

Unproven Uses: The plant contains psychoactive substances,

which intensify dreams and experiences.

PRECAUTIONS AND ADVERSE REACTIONS

The drug is not in medicinal use. Extracts of the drug

(ayahuasca, 5 mg alkaloids/ml), ingested orally in low doses,

have hallucinogenic and euphoric effects. These effects are

primarily due to monoamine oxidase inhibition; later the

effect becomes sedative.

OVERDOSAGE

The intake of higher dosages (corresponding to levels

starting at approximately 0.3 gm alkaloids) leads to vomit-

ing, nausea, ringing of the ears and tendency to collapse.

DOSAGE

Mode of Administration: Fresh or dried herb powder and

liquid preparations for internal use.

Preparation: The fresh or dried cut bark is macerated for

several hours resulting in a bitter syrup, which is then

consumed in small amounts. In addition, some of the bark is

pulverized, mixed with water and then consumed in larger

amounts. The juice can be kept for up to 6 months in tightly

sealed containers.

LITERATURE

McKenna DJ, Towers GH, Abbott F, Monoamine oxidase

inhibitors in South American hallucinogenic plants: tryptamine

and beta-carboline constituents of ayahuasca. J Ethnopharmacol,

10:195-223, 1984 Apr.

McKenna DJ, Towers GH, Abbott F, Relationship between

occurrence of tremor/convulsion and level of beta-carbolines in

the brain after administration of beta-carbolines into mice.

Pharmacol Biochem Behav, 10:-SO-,-SI-.

McKenna DJ, Towers GH, Abbott F, Ritual and medicinal

plants of the Ese'ejas of the Amazonian rainforest (Madre de

Dios, Peru). J Ethnopharmacol, 10:45-51, 1996 May.

Yarrow

Achillea millefolium

TRADE NAMES

Yarrow Flowers, Yarrow Extract, Alcohol-Free Yarrow

Flowers

DESCRIPTION

Medicinal Parts: The dried flower clusters and above-ground

parts of the herb are used medicinally.

Flower and Fruit: The plant has white, pink or purple

composite flowers in dense cymes with small capitula. The

bracts are imbricate, long, thorn-tipped and taper to a point.

There are 5 white female florets. The disc florets are tubular,