Ibogaine and the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase.
Kenneth Alper, Maarten E.A. Reith, Henry Sershen
Journal of Ethnopharmacology February 15, 2012 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2011.12.006 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Ibogaine |
| Topics | Ibogaine |
| Keywords | Acetylcholinesterase inhibition Drug safety |
| Citations | 13 |
| Key findings | Ibogaine inhibits acetylcholinesterase with an IC50 of 520 ± 40 μM, but this inhibition is physiologically negligible and does not account for observed functional effects in animals and humans. |
Abstract
Ibogaine is a psychoactive monoterpine indole alkaloid extracted from the root bark of Tabernanthe iboga Baill. that is used globally in medical and nonmedical settings to treat drug and alcohol addiction, and is of interest as an ethnopharmacological prototype for experimental investigation and pharmaceutical development. The question of whether ibogaine inhibits acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is of pharmacological and toxicological significance. AChE activity was evaluated utilizing reaction with Ellman's reagent with physostigmine as a control. Ibogaine inhibited AChE with an IC(50) of 520±40 μM. Ibogaine's inhibition of AChE is physiologically negligible, and does not appear to account for observations of functional effects in animals and humans that might otherwise suggest the possible involvement of pathways linked to muscarinic acetylcholine transmission.