Argyreia nervosa is a perennial climbing vine that is native to the Indian subcontinent and introduced to numerous areas worldwide, including Hawaii, Africa and the Caribbean. Though it can be invasive, it is often prized for its aesthetic value. Common names include Hawaiian Baby Woodrose, Adhoguda अधोगà¥à¤¡à¤¾ or Vidhara विधारा (Sanskrit), Elephant Creeper and Woolly Morning Glory. There are two botanical varieties: Argyreia nervosa var. nervosa described here, and Argyrea nervosa var. speciosa, a species used in ayurvedic medicine, but with little to no psychoactive value.
A. nervosa seeds contain various ergoline alkaloids, such as ergine, which can produce psychedelic effects. A study reported stereoisomers of ergine to be found in the seeds at a concentration of 0.325% of dry weight.
History
A. nervosa is a rare example of a plant whose putative hallucinogenic properties were not recognized until recent times. While several of its cousins in the Convolvulaceae family, such as the Rivea corymbosa (Ololiuhqui) and Ipomoea tricolor (Tlitliltzin), were used in shamanic rituals of Latin America for centuries, A. nervosa was not traditionally used for this purpose. Its properties were first brought to attention in the 1960s, despite the fact that the chemical composition of its seeds is nearly identical to those of the two species mentioned above, and the seeds contain the highest concentration of psychoactive compounds in the entire family.
Chemical constituents
The seeds of A. nervosa have been found to contain numerous chemical compounds.
Glycosides
- Argyroside, (24R)-ergost-5-en-11-oxo-3β-ol-α-D-glucopyranoside, a steroidal glycoside unique to Argyreia nervosa
Ergolines
Hydroxycinnamic acids
Fatty acids
Legality
Seeds
In most countries it is legal to purchase, sell or germinate A. nervosa seeds. Depending on the country, it may be illegal to buy seeds with the intention to consume them, and several countries have outlawed ergine-containing seeds altogether. In Australia, if the seeds are first treated to discourage use, then there are no restrictions on trade.
Extracted chemicals
Extracting ergine from A. nervosa seeds is illegal in the USA, since it is a scheduled substance. It is classified as a schedule III depressant by the DEA, although the substance has hallucinogenic/psychedelic properties.
Benefits
Leaves
In an animal model of ulcers in rats, large doses of the extract of Argyrea nervosa var. speciosa leaves (50, 100 and 200Â mg/kg body weight) showed dose-dependent antiulcer activity and cured the ulcers.
Root
When an extract of A. nervosa root was administered to male mice, both mounting and mating activity saw an increase, showing aphrodisiac activity. The litter from females inseminated by root-treated males also saw a significantly increased the male:female ratio versus the control group, suggesting--but not confirming--the ethnomedical belief of increased male offspring is accurate. Mechanisms for the altered male:female ratio have yet to be explained.
Flowers
When administered to male mice, an extract of A. nervosa flowers exhibited aphrodisiac activity to a similar degree of its root extract.
References
External links
- List of Argyreia species containing hallucinogenic alkaloids
- PLANTS database entry
- Growing Hawaiian Baby Woodrose
- Dressler, S.; Schmidt, M. & Zizka, G. (2014). "Argyreia nervosa". African plants â€" a Photo Guide. Frankfurt/Main: Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg.Â