Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
10
BRUNFELSIA IN ETHNOMEDICINE*
Timothy Plowman**
advanced
tribe Salpiglossideae. Brunfelsia is a medium-sized genus of
about 42 species of small trees and shrubs: 22 species are
confined to the West Indies; 20 species are found in tropical
South America.
Various species from South America have long been recognized by native peoples for their medicinal properties. Some of
these plants are cultivated for use as household remedies with
specific therapeutic effects. These effects have apparently
dently by unrelated peoples in wid
mically and pharated
Solanaceae and usually
is
placed
in the relatively
ifi
manv imnortant d
Sol
day
of Brunfelsia are known
medicinal importance. Other species of the genus are susof
of
My
review the literature on these plants and to present
pertinent ethnobotanical data collected during my own field
work and that of other workers, in order to rekindle the interest
Pharmacol
count
is
to
rich genus.
1.
Don
known manacd
is
B.
Cam
bridge, Massachusetts 02138, U.S.A.
289
synonym,
B.
is
Hopeana (Hook.)
Benth., particularly
in
M
fi
in folk
medicine.
Canuamhd and
v;
f
gamba". Gambd
is
a species of
opossum (Didelphis
cancri-
rof
[flora are said
(Peckolt, 1909).
In addition to the
manaed
also bears
common
names: mercurio vegetal (vegetable mercury, referring to its antisyphilitic properties), mercurio
dos pobres (poor man's mercury), flor da Quaresma (Easter
flower),.//^/' de Natal, Santa Maria and boas noites (Peckolt,
several Portuguese
1909).
When
the
first
in Brazil,
they
ties.
An
was
(Peckolt, 1909).
The
in
first
1648
in
reference to
manned
De Medicina
in
was
medica
trav-
German
M
d
ifi
bark
is
scammoniae
bv Marcgraf
L.
).
scammony (Convolvulus
Piso's remarks
in his
thumo
iscca unifl
ifelsia unifl
made
of Franciscea to the earlier genus Brunfelsia. In 1843, von
Martius, an outstanding student of Brazilian medical botany,
discussed at length the medicinal uses and pharmacological
his
manacd
most of
all
called 'vegetable mercury* by some. The innerbark and all the herbaceous parts have a nauseating bitterness
and are effective for fauces vellicantes. A small dose relaxes the
body. A larger dose moves the bowels and the urine, produces
in
syphilis and
is
poisons.
M
Q
of the face,
we do
know
Unfortunately
not
of manacd.
considered to be the most effective part of the plant. All parts,
however, are used medicinally in Brazil. The root is most often
powdered or prepared as a fluid extract, of which a usual dose
is
10 -30
minims
It is
a powerful
and energetic healing agent which has been used for many
disorders. In recent times, its most general application has
been against syphilis and rheumatism, and for its diuretic and
diaphoretic properties. The known pharmacological effects
and medicinal uses of'manacd root are summarized as follows:
W
2.
3.
909
Wre
6.
7.
8.
Webb
10.
1948)
292
11.
Webb
1948)
13.
14.
15.
Brandl, 1895)
16. Stimulates lymphatic system (von Martius, 1843)
17. Lowers body temperature (Brandl, 1895)
18. Increases blood pressure and respiration (de Almeida Costa, 1935)
19. Produces parasthesia (Peckolt, 1909)
20. Produces muscular tremors and cramps (Brandl, 1895; de Almeida
Costa, 1935)
21. Produces delirium, vertigo and clouded vision (Caminhoa, 1871)
22. Activates peristalsis (Brandl, 1895)
wound
to
"draw out
employed
ulcers. The
perfume
is
first
systematic investigations of
rw
He
failed
on a
full
forumula
C15H23N4O5 and
a melting point of
15.
Manacine was
sol-
in
be gelseminic acid.
A second
own
investigations.
There
is
in
294
is
initial
an
after
paralysis
general
showed
a
Frogs
atropine.
diastole.
in
arrest
heart
by
finally
followed
unrest,
period of
With manaceine he observed a similar but less intense action.
manned.
on
work
Brandl's
of
some
repeated
1909)
Peckolt
another
and
manacine
root,
in
the
products
two
found
He
further
no
offered
he
but
brunfelsine,
named
alkaloid which he
characterization of either compound. He stated that the seeds
Smith
&
(Spreng.)
brasiliensis
Brunfelsia
species,
another
of
(
wns
[reported as
4%
brunfelsine but
and
manacine
both
contain
species
this
of
the leaves and seeds
considered
is
brasiliensis
B.
Brazil,
native
brunfelsine. In its
(V.
specimens
herbarium
from
to
data
according
poisonous
Assis 142).
Pammel
(1911) listed
root,
man-
d mandragorine. *'M
Mandrauora
offi
1-hyoscyamine,
of
mixture
be
a
to
This was later
manas
known
alkaloid
new
and
a
(1-scopolamine)
1-hyoscine
shown
forumla
empirical
the
bears
compound
This
dragorine.
meltwith
a
aurichloride
crystalline
C15H J9O2N and forms a
and
a
acid
tropic
yields
it
hydrolysis,
124-126.
On
ing point of
Holmes,
Manske
1949;
&
(Henry,
tropine
base resembling
of
reports
subsequent
no
been
however,
1950). There have,
ft
M
295
bstance
in
minima
(Mors
&
by
constituent
is
now
hydroxycoumarin) of
und in all narts of th
species as well: Brunfelsia pauciflora (C. & S.) Benth. (reported as B. calycina var. macrantha (Lem.) Bailey & Raffill),
B. brasiliensis (reported as#. ramosissima)2LndB. grandiflora
flora. This
compound occurs
in
maimed
root
is
fully
recognized
in
the Brazilian
in
origin,
in
that
in rural
manacd
2.
Brunfelsia Mire
Monachino
resemblance
its
to
maimed
(Brunfelsia uniflora).
He
reported
cutaneous
parasites and to "paralyze the voluntary muscles as in an
that the Indians of the region
alcoholic intoxication".
employed mire
They boiled
to expel
Concurrently with Rusbys initial report, T. S. Githens published his pharmacological studies on the effects of mire. He
confirmed the drugs paralyzing effect on the voluntary muscles through an action on the spinal chord. He also observed
stimulation of the peripheral motor-apparatus indicated by
muscular twitching. Both the sweat and salivary glands were
stimulated in rabbits and frogs (Githens, 1924).
Two years later, Githens (1926) published an article on the
chemistry of mire. In analyzing extracts of the root and stem,
strongly fluorescent
body soluble
in alcohol,
ether and
An
physiologically.
second alkaloid was present which was soluble in alcohol but not precipitated by the addition of ether. This body
3.
5% of the
297
yellow solution.
Its
first
alkaloidal
portion.
The
findings of
studies on
manacd
further indication of
its
toxic activity.
Two
other species, B.
and B. grandiflora, are also reported to be poisonous to cattle. B. Mire remains relatively unknown from chemical and pharmacological standpoints and clearly merits
additional phytochemical work.
brasiliensis
3.
Brunfelsia grandiflora D.
Brunfelsia grandiflora
Don
in
is
M
barium labels that
this species
in
is
ing.
Beginning
298
tion in the
been
have
may
maritima
B.
originally
as
(reported
this species
native
as
that,
and
past
the
in
extensively
employed more
peoples have become acculturated, its use has died out.
)
Brunfelsia grandiflora
is
Plowman
western
sub
iifl
Schultesii
in
recognized chiefly
used
to
be
seem
however,
forms,
Both
flowers and fruits.
interchangeably in folk medicine. Subsp. Schultesii is more
be
to
likely
more
form
the
and
lowlands
widespread in the
employed.
Many
it
is
names
in
lowland Eci
Brunfelsia grandifl
d
other,
each
of
exclusive
means
By
no
higher doses, as a poison.
in
everyday
real-
ity.
Colomb
(Steinhach
Bolivia
in
collected
specimens
herbarium
from
poisonous.
very
plant
is
the
that
indicate
also
5487)
1805,
the
299
Ecuador as
employed
in
a fish poison.
BRUNF
[l.SIA
GRANDIFIORA AS A MkDIC
INF.
My
is
work and
that
throughout most of the Peruvian Amazon, Brunfelsia grandijlora is one of the most important medicines against rheumatism and arthritis. One informant, a Kokama Indian from the
Rio Ucayali, provided the following recipe for preparing the
Pinkley,
is
who worked
300
in
added
that the
in
become ex-
Schultes, 1966).
Kofans of the
for
The leaves of
employed
in the Iquitos
eputedly
cause nausea.
The Siona Indians of the Colombian Putumayo similarly
employ Brunfelsia grandiflora as an analgesic to alleviate pain.
has a strong numbing effect, permitting one to
walk long distances, even if the feet ache (Langdon, 1972). In
They say
that
it
&
from
first
disclosed
ifi
fro
new
a
published
Benoist
botanist
French
In 1928, the
a
used
as
was
claimed
which
he
vinii,
Taste
Brunfelsia
species,
hallucinogen
for
in the Brazilian
its
who
the plant
301
"
placed
in
synonymy with
this species.
it.
which they
The effects
They
all
This account raises some points of skepticism. The description of the effects of keya-honi is strikingly similar to that often
given for Banisteriopsis intoxications (Rivier & Lindgren,
1972; Naranjo, 1973) and unlike any other reports of Brunfelsia
intoxication.
It is
my
He
is
to
302
It
reputedly
makes
r.
C.
1968).
ACana-
Web
meltine
awav of
beneficial
f
hall
spirit
form of a
tribe,
who
in their
may
Shamans of
take the
the
Lama
"The neophyte
he impregnated a splinter
with his power and cast it at his victim. To cure it, a shaman
sucked out the splinter." (Steward & Metraux, 1948).
'
internal
"thorns".
To cause
illness,
303
In
Brunfelsia
is
among
Among the
Stephanopodium peruvianum
P.
&
E. (Dichapetalaceae).
The
To
names
suggests.
in this
Another
tribe
huha
is
hai.
in
Langdon,
an anthropologist working with the Siona, supplied the following account of yai huha hai along with voucher specimens
collected by an informant:
"The
it
plant
is
is
It
supposedly dulls
304
is
cultivated and
known
as bi'a
huha
hai.
It is
among
ad
Kofan shaman
disease (Pinkley, 1973).
The Kofan,
like
ses of Brunfelsia
'k'o in the
xfelsia
mall
4.
in
Brunfelsia chiricaspi
The
Plowman
known
to the
Kofan
is
called
to the Rio
Coca
visited the
Kofan
in
not cultivated.
field work and general colis
village of Santa
Rosa on
the
old
man
in
the village,
who was
anymore because it is considered very dangerous. He disavowed any knowledge of yage or of taking tsontinba"k'o for
visions. Since it seemed no more information would be forthcoming, asked the old Kofan to demonstrate the preparation
I
December
isaria del
3,
Guamues, Com-
Putumayo, Colombia.
Antonio well before sunset on the night our Kofan curaca had
chosen to prepare covi tsantinba"k o. The curaca did not return
to the village until nearly dark, carrying with him a handful oi
scraped bark which he had collected in the nearby forest. He said
the plant is not common and he had had difficulty finding it. He
extracted the juice of the greenish brown bark in a cup of cold
water by wetting the bark and squeezing it repeatedly until the
liquid became a murky light brown color. He then handed each of
us half a cupful. The drink had a very bitter taste and pungent
odor. We drank it quickly and sat down on the front porch of the
curaca" s hut.
"The effects of the drug appeared within about ten minutes.
first felt a tingling sensation in my lips, followed soon by the same
f
sensation in my fingertips. This felt exactly like the feeling experienced when your leg "falls asleep \ when the blood rushes
back. Along with the tingling, I felt a pronounced vibrating in the
affected parts.
"The
306
We
seemed
to
tremely uncomfortable.
During the course of the evening, the curaca went to bed We
brief
for
a
except
night
of
the
the
rest
him
for
see
did not
appearance upon our departure. Since we were feeling increasthe
return
to
to
decided
we
place,
strange
in
this
sorts
of
out
ingly
nearby village of San Antonio where we were staying in an
abandoned jail cell. It was very difficult to move or stand up, but
This
home.
start
for
strength
to
enough
mustered
we
eventually
k w
other,
each
supporting
I
and
Pedro
with
hour
an
took
frequently stumbling and crawling along the dark trail through
at least
the forest.
our hamin
drug
the
feeling
still
time,
long
for
a
awake
I
lay
rest.
mocks to
my body, particularly the tingling. The stomach cramps and
vertigo began to subside, and eventually fell asleep, completely
I felt
next
day,
The
physically.
and
mentally
both
exhausted
disgreat
without
move
to
unable
nearly
and
weak
extremely
comfort. I became very dizzy if I tried to stand up or walk. I could
two
after
Only
hammock.
my
in
remained
and
not eat anything
becomwithout
around
move
and
recover
begin
to
days
did
full
ing dizzy."
wfc
When we
arrived
in
into
My
and
and
307
ve,
blue wheel.
The
felt that
effeets described
was going
and
me
vi
like
to d
above correspond
in
some
respects to
ffect
ifelsia, especially/?,
grandifl
from a peripheral
well
this effect
is
nicotine,
We may
why
is
Brunfelsia used
in
medicinal properties are important in this respect, for the use of yage is grounded in its
medicinal applications. Yage itself is a strong purgative and
its
may have
to the
shaman.
being
added
to preparations of
viridis (Pinkley,
&
Lindgren, 1972).
Both of these plants contain the potent hallucinogen N,Ndimethyltryptamine as their main active constituent, the effects of which differ somewhat from the harmine derivatives
found in#. Caapi (Agurell^ at., 1968; Der Marderosian etal.,
1969; Rivier
1970).
308
may
emcom-
is
5.
Miscellaneous species
like B. uniflora
tive
and poison
as an
in
known to be
commonly as in
species
in
used as a tonic to
Acknowledgments
Research reported in this paper was supported in part by the
National Institutes of Health Training Grant (T T01
00036-13) and by the National Science Foundation Evolutionary Biology Training Grant (GB 7346, Reed Rollins, Principal
GM
310
Investigator,
Harvard University).
offered useful
who
comments:
and
J.
Langdon
for
would
Literature Cited
Agurell, S., B. Holmstedt, and J.E. Lindgren. 1968. Alkaloid Content of
Banisteriopsis Rusbyana. American Journal of Pharmacy 140: 148-151.
Aleman
Frias, E. et
al.
1972.
Janeiro, p. 102.
311
Don,
1829. Observations
I).
1-139.
4.
The
Plant Alkaloids.
Philadel-
phia, p. 83.
1957.
&
Island Caribs of
396-397.
Iyer, R.P., J.K.
hopeana
1977. Brunfelsia
versity Press.
696.
Langdon,
J.
Communication.
The Monthly Magazine.
1972. Personal
Lascelles-Scott, W. 1887.
46: 739, 47: 773.
Le Cointe, P. 1947. Arvores e Plantas Uteis. Ed. 2. Amazonia Brasileira 3,
ser. 5. Brasiliana 251: 279. Companhia Editora Nacional. Sao Paulo.
Lenardson, R. 1884. Chemische Untersuchungen der rothen Manaca. Dissertation. University of Dorpat, Estonia. 37 pp.
Machado de Campos, S. 1964. Scopoletin in Brunfelsia seeds. Anais da
Academia Brasileira de Ciencias de Rio de Janeiro. 36 (1): 511-513.
Manfred, L. 1947. 7,000 Recetas Botanicas a base de Mil trescientos Plantas
Medicinales. Editorial Kier. Buenos Aires, p. 152.
Manske, R.H.F. and H.L. Holmes. 1950. The Alkaloids. Chemistry and
Physiology. Academic Press. New York. 1: 313-314. 334.
Marcgraf, G. 1648. Historia Rerum Naturalium Brasiliae. F. Hack. Leiden.
p. 69.
312
P. 1843.
Brasilien-
sis.
A New
Politis, J. 1948.
692-693.
16.
- - - ^^
_^~ __ _-__
_ _
Man-
ila.
A Handbook
tion.
1970.
Economic Botany
26(2): 101-109.
&
The search
for
new
313
Schultes, R.E.
Plants.
1969.
their Hallucinogenic
de Colombia. In
la flora
amazonica
American Ethnology
Steward, J.H. and A. Metraux. 1948. Tribes of the Peruvian and Ecuadorian
Montana. In J.H. Steward, ed. Handbook of South American Indians.
Vol. 3: The Tropical Forest Tribes. Bureau of American Ethnology.
Bulletin 143. Washington. D.C. pp. 594, 605.
Tastevin, C. 1922. Nomes de plantas e animaes em lingua Tupy. Revista do
Museu
Tastevin, C. 1926.
script.
Translated
in:
United States:
pp. 80-103.
Tina, F. 1969. Personal communication. Iquitos, Peru.
Affairs.
Webb,
Guide
to
314
PLATE
63
DE
Folia habct
FACYLTATllVS SlMPLlCIVM
citriis
baud
diflimilia
&
Lib. IV.
molliora
gcrandi
&
85
qualitatc rcfri-
quibus
vitiatas
Raro vidca*.
fcipcrc
nifi
dio inftru&os.
Succus olcofus deniquc e
filiquis cxprcflus
ad maturan*
&
da apoftcmata refcrvatur,
applicaair cum profpero fuc*
ccflli.
Cap.
XLIII.
DcManacajruUcCtejuf
quefacultatibu* .
LOcis
umbrofis
maximc
AUetm Tjpuiric*
circa
lu-
Mm-
(quod ut rar um,ita maxime jucundum) latco nitore nitefci t Menfc Januario vegetus & valdc
:
atquc iotcgras
fra-
filvas infigni
xmula implct.
fucccdit frutxus baccx
grantia Narciflfi
Flori
& albicantem
cujus
fb-
me-
poili-
& prxftat.
cetur
quam Brafiliani
licet
magni
movcat.
& interne
Quamobrcm tantum
qux
Scammoncj potius inferior quam
fupcrior cue debet
ad
illud
cnim
eft
amarorc cnim
uniflora) in
Car.
First Description
315
PLATE
64
Plate 64.
316
PLATE
65
317
PLATE
66
318
PLATE
67
mire
Plate 67.
Fruit cluster.
319
I.
Habit.
2.
Flowering Branch.
PLATE
68
LXV
Tab
Brunsfelsia
Plate 68.
Brunfelsia americana L.
Plantarmn Americanarum
From Burmarfs
(1756).
320
Edition of Plumier's