Ibogaine pharmacology

Staley J., Ouyang Q., Pablo J. et al. Pharmacological screen for activities of 12-hydroxyibogamine a primary metabolite of the indole alkaloid ibogaine. Psychopharmacology. 127 10, 1996. 

Sunder Sharma S, Bhargava HN. (1998). Enhancement of morphine antinociception by ibogaine and noribogaine in morphine-tolerant mice. Pharmacology. 57(5) 229-32. 

But as fascinating as the pharmacology of ibogaine, it is the chemistry of this alkaloid that is overwhelmingly awesome. The presence of four isomers was mentioned in the chemistry section above, but this fact was not appreciated until the 1960 s and even then, a coupe of troublesome errors were made that confused the absolute configuration picture quite badly. 

Popik P and Skolnick P (1999) Pharmacology of ibogaine and ibogaine-related alkaloids. The Alkaloids, Chemistry and Biology (ed Cordell GA) Vol 52. Academic, San Diego, pp 197-231. 

But as fascinating as the pharmacology of ibogaine, it is the chemistry of this alkaloid that is overwhelmingly awesome. The presence of four isomers was... 

Recent studies have indeed demonstrated that ibogaine is metabolized and that O-desmethylibogaine can be detected in human plasma (75), as well as in the plasma and brains of ibogaine-treated rats (66). Behavioral and neurochemical studies in rodents have established that O-desmethylibogaine is pharmacologically active (discussed later). 

Ibogaine can affect several aspects of serotonergic transmission at concentrations that are readily achieved in the brain following pharmacologically relevant doses [reviewed by Sershen et al. (I8S)]. Because multiple serotonin receptor subtypes, as well as serotonin re-uptake, are modulated by ibogaine, it is not surprising that the effects of this alkaloid on steady-... 

S. L. Costache Pharmacological attenuation of the tremorigenic effects of ibogaine. Unpublished M.S. thesis. Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, 1995. 

The recent substantial interest in ibogaine and its derivatives as potential anti-addictive agents is reviewed in Chapter 3 by Popik and Skolnick from the biochemical and pharmacological perspectives. 

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