- Voacanga africana
Taxobox
name = "Voacanga africana"
regnum =Plant ae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis =Magnoliopsida
ordo =Gentianales
familia =Apocynaceae
genus = "Voacanga "
species = "V. africana"
binomial = "Voacanga africana"
binomial_authority = Stapf [cite web
url=http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?451655
title=Voacanga africana information from NPGS/GRIN
publisher=www.ars-grin.gov
accessdate=2008-04-05
last=
first=]"Voacanga africana" is a small tropical
Africa n tree that grows to 6m in height. It has leaves that are up to 30 cm in length, and the tree produces yellow or white flowers, which become berries with yellow seeds. The bark and seeds of the tree are used inGhana as apoison ,stimulant ,aphrodisiac , and ceremonialpsychedelic . These effects are due to the presence of a complex mixture of iboga alkaloids such asvoacangine ,vocamine ,vobtusine ,amataine ,akuammidine ,tabersonine ,coronaridine andvobtusine . A number of these compounds have pharmaceutical uses. [ [http://www.erowid.org/plants/voacanga_africana/voacanga_africana_info1.shtml Review of Voacanga africana taxonomy, phytochemistry, ethnobotany and pharmacology.] ] Of particular pharmaceutical interest isvoacangine , which is a common precursor in the semi-synthesis of the anti-addiction medicationibogaine . Small amounts of ibogaine are found in "Voacanga africana" but not in sufficient quantity to have much medicinal effect, although other alkaloids from the plant such as coronaridine and voacangine may have a weak anti-addictive effect in their own right.See also
* [http://www.voacanga-africana.com.gh Voacanga Africana seeds]
References
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