Machine learning recovers folk classification of Banisteriopsis caapi from herbarium leaves an ayahuasca liana
Scheila Cristina Biazatti, Deborah Bambil, Rômulo Môra, Lúcio Flávio de Alencar Figueiredo, Regina Célia de Oliveira
iScience April 15, 2026 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.115753 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | A single plant species |
| Topics | Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Liana Herbarium Ethnobiology Biological classification Perspectivism Artificial intelligence Machine learning Ecology Botany |
| Key findings | Machine learning analysis of morphological variation within a single species partially validates traditional ethnobotanical classifications. |
Abstract
reflects morphological overlap. Confusion matrix and similarity network analyses showed only partial agreement with previous ethnobotanical classifications. Focusing on subtle variation within a single species, this study demonstrates that integrating traditional knowledge with machine learning enables automated validation of folk taxonomies.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on ayahuasca, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression: a preliminary report Patients with a depressive disorder | 2015 | Observational study | |
| The Psychedelic State Induced by Ayahuasca Modulates the Activity and Connectivity of the Default Mode Network Experienced subjects | 2015 | Observational cohort | n = 10 |
| Human Psychopharmacology of Hoasca, A Plant Hallucinogen Used in Ritual Context in Brazil Long-term members of a syncretic church that uses hoasca as a psychoactive sacrament... | 1996 | Observational cohort with matched controls | n = 30 |
| Ayahuasca-Assisted Therapy for Addiction: Results from a Preliminary Observational Study in Canada Rural aboriginal population | 2013 | Observational study | |
| Personality, Psychopathology, Life Attitudes and Neuropsychological Performance among Ritual Users of Ayahuasca: A Longitudinal Study Regular ayahuasca users and active controls in non-ayahuasca religions | 2012 | Observational cohort | n = 242 |
Citations in the library
Cites 6
- The globalization of ayahuasca: Harm reduction or benefit maximization? International Journal of Drug Policy December 5, 2006
- Chemical evidence for the use of multiple psychotropic plants in a 1,000-year-old ritual bundle from South America. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences June 4, 2019
- Ayahuasca healing beyond the Amazon: the globalization of a traditional indigenous entheogenic practice Global Networks December 9, 2008
- Biodiversity of β-Carboline Profile of Banisteriopsis caapi and Ayahuasca, a Plant and a Brew with Neuropharmacological Potential Plants July 9, 2020
- Phytochemical analyses of Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs June 1, 2005
and 1 more in the library