Translated from our German original by AI. The German text was researched, written, and edited by the Psychedelia Foundation team and remains the authoritative version.
A review summarizes the current state of research on the South American tree species Anadenanthera colubrina var. cebil (Vilca, Cebil). It focuses on the plant’s ethnobotanical significance, its constituents, and the pharmacological and toxicological properties described so far.
The species is distributed across various South American ecosystems, among them dry forests and savannahs in Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Bolivia, as well as the Andean regions of Peru and Chile. Indigenous communities such as the Guaraní, Tupí, and Wichí have long used the plant both in ritual and shamanic ceremonies and for medicinal purposes. Recorded applications include uses for respiratory diseases, inflammation, and various infections.
According to the authors, this ethnomedicinal diversity is linked to the complex phytochemical profile of the plant. The constituents identified include the alkaloids bufotenine (5-hydroxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine), N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), and 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT), as well as triterpenes, steroids, saponins, and flavonoids such as quercetin and anadanthoflavone.
The preclinical studies evaluated in the review report anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxidant, antidiarrhoeal, and wound-healing properties, in particular for extracts from bark and leaves. Bark extracts, for instance, showed anti-inflammatory effects in animal models both in paw edema and in a preclinical model of pulmonary emphysema.
The authors also point to possible risks from individual constituents. The psychoactive alkaloids derived from the seeds, traditionally used in ceremonial contexts, can potentially have neurotoxic and cardiotoxic effects. The gum exuded from the trunk, by contrast, consists largely of arabinose-rich heteropolysaccharides and showed potential in preclinical work for promoting wound healing and for treating diarrhoeal disease, with low toxicity and favorable safety properties.
The paper offers a critical synthesis of the current scientific literature on A. colubrina var. cebil. It concentrates on the bioactive potential of the species and identifies existing knowledge gaps, so as to serve as orientation for future research.
