Distribution of ibogaine and noribogaine in a man following a poisoning involving root bark of the Tabernanthe iboga shrub.
Violeta Kontrimaviciūte, Olivier Mathieu, Jean-Claude Mathieu-Daudé, Paulius Vainauskas, Thierry Casper, Eric Baccino, Françoise M M Bressolle
Journal of Analytical Toxicology September 1, 2006 DOI: 10.1093/jat/30.7.434 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | 48-year-old Caucasian male with a history of drug abuse who died after ingesting Tabernanthe iboga root bark |
| Topics | Ibogaine |
| Keywords | Forensic toxicology Forensic analysis Poisoning investigation Toxicological analysis Plant compound Alkaloid Pharmacokinetics Drug distribution Tissue distribution Organ distribution Blood-brain barrier Systemic impact Metabolites Drug breakdown products |
| Citations | 38 |
| Key findings | Ibogaine and noribogaine were distributed throughout most tissues, with highest concentrations in spleen, liver, brain, and lung, and both substances crossed the blood-brain barrier. |
Abstract
In the present paper, we report for the first time the tissue distribution of ibogaine and noribogaine, the main metabolite of ibogaine, in a 48-year-old Caucasian male, with a history of drug abuse, found dead at his home after a poisoning involving the ingestion of root bark from the shrub Tabernanthe iboga. Ibogaine and noribogaine were quantified in tissues and fluids using a fully validated liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry method. Apart from cardiac tissue, ibogaine and noribogaine were identified in all matrices investigated. The highest concentrations were found in spleen, liver, brain, and lung. The tissue/subclavian blood concentration ratios averaged 1.78, 3.75, 1.16, and 4.64 for ibogaine and 0.83, 2.43, 0.90, and 2.69 for noribogaine for spleen, liver, brain, and lung, respectively. Very low concentrations of the two drugs were found in the prostatic tissue. Both ibogaine and noribogaine are secreted in the bile and cross the blood-brain barrier. Four other compounds were detected in most of the studied matrices. One of them was identified as ibogamine. Unfortunately, we were not able to positively identify the other three compounds because of the unavailability of reference substances. Two of them could possibly be attributed to the following oxidation products: iboluteine and desmethoxyiboluteine. The third compound could be ibogaline.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on ibogaine, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treatment of acute opioid withdrawal with ibogaine. Patients undergoing opioid detoxification with ibogaine in non-medical settings | 1999 | Case series | n = 33 |
| A preliminary investigation of ibogaine: case reports and recommendations for further study. Individuals addicted to opiates | 1994 | Case series | n = 7 |
| Long-QT Syndrome Induced by the Antiaddiction Drug Ibogaine A 31-year-old woman | 2009 | Case study | n = 1 |
| A case report SPECT study and theoretical rationale for the sequential administration of ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT in the treatment of alcohol use disorder. 31-year-old male military veteran with moderate alcohol use disorder | 2018 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Remission of Severe Opioid Use Disorder with Ibogaine: A Case Report. 37-year-old female with severe opioid use disorder | 2016 | Case study | n = 1 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 21
- The ibogaine medical subculture. Journal of Ethnopharmacology January 4, 2008
- Ibogaine Detoxification Transitions Opioid and Cocaine Abusers Between Dependence and Abstinence: Clinical Observations and Treatment Outcomes. Frontiers in Pharmacology 2018
- Ibogaine, an anti-addictive drug: pharmacology and time to go further in development. A narrative review. Human & Experimental Toxicology March 1, 2008
- Fatalities temporally associated with the ingestion of ibogaine. Journal of Forensic Sciences March 1, 2012
- How toxic is ibogaine? Clinical Toxicology 2016
and 16 more in the library
Cites 6
- Ibogaine: complex pharmacokinetics, concerns for safety, and preliminary efficacy measures. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences September 1, 2000
- Identification of a primary metabolite of ibogaine that targets serotonin transporters and elevates serotonin. Life Sciences 1995
- In Vivo Neurobiological Effects of Ibogaine and Its O-Desmethyl Metabolite, 12-Hydroxyibogamine (Noribogaine), in Rats Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics May 1, 2001
- Development of novel medications for drug addiction. The legacy of an African shrub. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2000
- Extraction studies of Tabernanthe iboga and Voacanga africana. Natural product letters February 1, 2002
and 1 more in the library