Argyreia nervosa
source: Wikipédia
Certain New Age sources claim that, according to 'various oral histories' Huna shamans used the powdered seeds to prepare an entheogenic drink.[10] This is unlikely to reflect an authentic practice having once formed a part of traditional Hawaiian Religion,[11] given that Huna has been widely discredited as a culturally appropriative New Age religion invented by Max Freedom Long.[12] The seeds of Argyreia nervosa can produce psychoactive effects, but it has not yet been demonstrated satisfactorily that their use as an entheogen predates the various countercultural movements of the 1960s.[11] Given that A. nervosa is not native to Hawaii, having been introduced there from India, any Hawaiian practices involving it are unlikely to be of any antiquity. It cannot, however, be ruled out that the plant may have been utilised as an intoxicant in its native India at some time in the past, although evidence for this (if present) has not yet come to light.[11] The seeds of A. nervosa contain ergot alkaloids varying considerably in concentration with LSA weight ranging between exactly similar looking seeds from 3 μg to 34 μg (avg 17 μg).[13] However, in its effects, LSA is about one tenth as potent as its cousin LSD, making a threshold dose level for LSA about 500 μg.[14] The psychoactive effects of the seeds may therefore be due to other alkaloids present in them and the safe and effective dose may be difficult to predict.
Uses in the traditional medicine of IndiaEdit
While he does not claim there to be any evidence for the use of the seeds of A. nervosa as a traditional entheogen in its native India, Christian Rätsch does describe some interesting traditional uses of the root of the plant in Ayurveda somewhat suggestive of effects upon the CNS:[11]
The root is regarded as a tonic for the nerves and brain and is ingested as a rejuvenation tonic and aphrodisiac to increase intelligence.[11]
Other traditional uses are in the treatment of gonorrhea, strangury, chronic ulcers, diabetes, anemia, and cerebral disorders. The plant is also used as appetizer, brain tonic, cardiotonic, and aphrodisiac. It possesses anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal activities [15]
ReferencesEdit
^ Glossary Of Indian Medicinal Plants^ "Argyreia nervosa". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 2010-11-10.^ a b "Medicinal uses and biological activities of Argyreia speciosa Sweet (Hawaiian Baby Woodrose) — An Overview". Indian Journal of Natural Products and Resources: 286–291. September 2011.^ E. Al-Assmar, Sami (1999). "The Seeds of the Hawaiian Baby Woodrose Are a Powerful Hallucinogen". Arch Intern Med. 159 (17): 2090. doi:10.1001/archinte.159.17.2090. PMID 10510998.^ a b Paulke, Alexander; et al. (2015). "Studies on the alkaloid composition of the Hawaiian Baby Woodrose Argyreia nervosa, a common legal high". Forensic Science International. 249: 281–293. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2015.02.011. PMID 25747328.^ Halpern, J.H. (2004). "Hallucinogens and dissociative agents naturally growing in the United States". Pharmacology & Therapeutics. 102 (2): 131–138. doi:10.1016/j.pharmthera.2004.03.003. PMID 15163594. S2CID 30734515. Although LSD does not occur in nature, a close analogue, lysergic acid amide (LSA, ‘‘ergine’’) is found in the seeds of Argyreia nervosa (Hawaiian baby woodrose)^ Chao JM, Der Marderosian AH (1973). "Ergoline alkaloidal constituents of Hawaiian baby wood rose, Argyreia nervosa (Burmf) Bojer". J. Pharm. Sci. 62 (4): 588–91. doi:10.1002/jps.2600620409. PMID 4698977.^ Brickell, Christopher (2016). Royal Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia Of Garden Plants. Great Britain: Dorling Kindersley. p. 110. ISBN 9780241239124.^ Rahman, A.; Ali, M.; Khan, N. Z. (2003). "Argyroside from Argyreia nervosa Seeds". ChemInform. 34 (21): 60–2. doi:10.1002/chin.200321168. ISSN 0931-7597. PMID 12622256.^ "Entheology.org - Preserving Ancient Knowledge". www.entheology.org.^ a b c d e Rätsch, Christian (2004). The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants: Ethnopharmacology and Its Applications. Park Street Press, U.S. ISBN 978-0892819782.^ Chai, Makana Risser (2011). "Huna, Max Freedom Long, and the Idealization of William Brigham" (PDF). The Hawaiian Journal of History. 45. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-01-18.^ Paulke, Alexander; Kremer, Christian; Wunder, Cora; Wurglics, Mario; Schubert-Zsilavecz, Manfred; Toennes, Stefan W. (2014). "Identification of legal highs--ergot alkaloid patterns in two Argyreia nervosa products". Forensic Science International. 242: 62–71. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2014.06.025. ISSN 1872-6283. PMID 25036782.^ Wasson, R. Gordon; Hofmann, Albert; Ruck, Carl A. P. (2008). The Road to Eleusis: Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries. North Atlantic Books. ISBN 9781556437526.^ Bharati, A. J.; Bansal, Y. K. (2014). "Phytochemical investigation of natural and in vitro raised Vṛddhadāruka plants". Ancient Science of Life. 34 (2): 80–84. doi:10.4103/0257-7941.153463. PMC 4389397. PMID 25861141.
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