Chagro-Panga

Materia Medica

Chagro-Panga

Diplopterys cabrerana

Chagro-panga, or chaliponga, is a climbing vine of the western Amazon whose leaves are rich in N,N-DMT. They are brewed with the ayahuasca vine as a visionary admixture, in place of chacruna.

What Is Chagro-Panga?

Chagro-panga, more often called chaliponga, is a climbing vine of the western Amazon whose leaves are brewed into ayahuasca as a source of DMT. It is used in place of chacruna 3,4Reference 3McKenna DJ et al. · 1984In vitroMonoamine oxidase inhibitors in South American hallucinogenic plants: tryptamine and β-carboline constituents of ayahuasca — in vitro enzyme assayView study →Reference 4Riba J et al. · 2012Metabolism and disposition of N,N-dimethyltryptamine and harmala alkaloids after oral administration of ayahuasca — human pharmacokinetic studyView study →.

It grows in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, northern Brazil and Venezuela 21Reference 21GBIF Secretariat (n.d.)Diplopterys cabrerana (Cuatrec.) B.Gates — accepted name and native distribution, from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants — species databaseView study →. It belongs to the same family as the ayahuasca vine, the Malpighiaceae, and is gathered from the wild and grown in home gardens in eastern Ecuador 20Reference 20Useful Tropical Plants (n.d.)Diplopterys cabrerana (Cuatrec.) B.Gates — habit, range, synonyms and use as an ayahuasca admixture — species databaseView study →.

The leaves’ main alkaloid is N,N-DMT 1,2Reference 1Agurell S et al. · 1968Alkaloid content of Banisteriopsis rusbyana — phytochemical analysisView study →Reference 2Der Marderosian AH et al. · 1968Native use and occurrence of N,N-dimethyltryptamine in the leaves of Banisteriopsis rusbyana — phytochemical analysisView study →. Research on the ayahuasca brew has found a rapid antidepressant effect, but no study has tested chaliponga itself 5Reference 5Palhano-Fontes F et al. · 2019RCTRapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial — RCTView study →.

Older chemical papers call the plant Banisteriopsis rusbyana 1,2Reference 1Agurell S et al. · 1968Alkaloid content of Banisteriopsis rusbyana — phytochemical analysisView study →Reference 2Der Marderosian AH et al. · 1968Native use and occurrence of N,N-dimethyltryptamine in the leaves of Banisteriopsis rusbyana — phytochemical analysisView study →. Its accepted name is Diplopterys cabrerana, and it was first described as Banisteriopsis cabrerana 20,21Reference 20Useful Tropical Plants (n.d.)Diplopterys cabrerana (Cuatrec.) B.Gates — habit, range, synonyms and use as an ayahuasca admixture — species databaseView study →Reference 21GBIF Secretariat (n.d.)Diplopterys cabrerana (Cuatrec.) B.Gates — accepted name and native distribution, from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants — species databaseView study →.

How Is Chagro-Panga Used?

  • In ayahuasca — the leaves are boiled with the stems of the ayahuasca vine, Banisteriopsis caapi. The vine’s β-carbolines inhibit monoamine oxidase, the enzyme that otherwise breaks down DMT in the gut 3,4Reference 3McKenna DJ et al. · 1984In vitroMonoamine oxidase inhibitors in South American hallucinogenic plants: tryptamine and β-carboline constituents of ayahuasca — in vitro enzyme assayView study →Reference 4Riba J et al. · 2012Metabolism and disposition of N,N-dimethyltryptamine and harmala alkaloids after oral administration of ayahuasca — human pharmacokinetic studyView study →.
  • In place of chacruna — chaliponga and chacruna are both DMT-bearing admixture leaves 3,4Reference 3McKenna DJ et al. · 1984In vitroMonoamine oxidase inhibitors in South American hallucinogenic plants: tryptamine and β-carboline constituents of ayahuasca — in vitro enzyme assayView study →Reference 4Riba J et al. · 2012Metabolism and disposition of N,N-dimethyltryptamine and harmala alkaloids after oral administration of ayahuasca — human pharmacokinetic studyView study →.

Traditional Uses

Amazonian Ceremonial Medicine

Chaliponga is important in the culture of many South American Indigenous peoples 20Reference 20Useful Tropical Plants (n.d.)Diplopterys cabrerana (Cuatrec.) B.Gates — habit, range, synonyms and use as an ayahuasca admixture — species databaseView study →. In the western Amazon the leaves are added to the Banisteriopsis caapi vine to make ayahuasca 2,3Reference 2Der Marderosian AH et al. · 1968Native use and occurrence of N,N-dimethyltryptamine in the leaves of Banisteriopsis rusbyana — phytochemical analysisView study →Reference 3McKenna DJ et al. · 1984In vitroMonoamine oxidase inhibitors in South American hallucinogenic plants: tryptamine and β-carboline constituents of ayahuasca — in vitro enzyme assayView study →.

It fills the same role as chacruna, supplying the DMT in the brew. The brew made with chaliponga has a reputation for stronger and longer-lasting visionary effects.

The brew is prepared by long boiling of leaf and vine together. It is taken in ceremony, within Indigenous and mestizo healing practice, under the direction of an experienced practitioner.

Indications

  • Visionary and ceremonial use [leaf in ayahuasca; Amazonian ceremonial medicine]
  • Depression [ayahuasca brew] Caution: The antidepressant trial used church-prepared ayahuasca standardised by its DMT content, without naming the leaf; no study has used chaliponga 5.
  • Anxiety and psychological wellbeing [ayahuasca brew]

Botany

Chagro-panga is a woody climbing plant in the Malpighiaceae 20Reference 20Useful Tropical Plants (n.d.)Diplopterys cabrerana (Cuatrec.) B.Gates — habit, range, synonyms and use as an ayahuasca admixture — species databaseView study →. It belongs to the same family as the ayahuasca vine, Banisteriopsis caapi, but to a different genus.

Its accepted name is Diplopterys cabrerana (Cuatrec.) B.Gates. It was first described as Banisteriopsis cabrerana Cuatrec. 20,21Reference 20Useful Tropical Plants (n.d.)Diplopterys cabrerana (Cuatrec.) B.Gates — habit, range, synonyms and use as an ayahuasca admixture — species databaseView study →Reference 21GBIF Secretariat (n.d.)Diplopterys cabrerana (Cuatrec.) B.Gates — accepted name and native distribution, from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants — species databaseView study →. Mid-twentieth-century chemical studies identified it as Banisteriopsis rusbyana 1,2Reference 1Agurell S et al. · 1968Alkaloid content of Banisteriopsis rusbyana — phytochemical analysisView study →Reference 2Der Marderosian AH et al. · 1968Native use and occurrence of N,N-dimethyltryptamine in the leaves of Banisteriopsis rusbyana — phytochemical analysisView study →.

The leaf is the part used 2,20Reference 2Der Marderosian AH et al. · 1968Native use and occurrence of N,N-dimethyltryptamine in the leaves of Banisteriopsis rusbyana — phytochemical analysisView study →Reference 20Useful Tropical Plants (n.d.)Diplopterys cabrerana (Cuatrec.) B.Gates — habit, range, synonyms and use as an ayahuasca admixture — species databaseView study →.

Distribution

Chagro-panga is native to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, northern Brazil and Venezuela 21Reference 21GBIF Secretariat (n.d.)Diplopterys cabrerana (Cuatrec.) B.Gates — accepted name and native distribution, from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants — species databaseView study →.

It is harvested from the wild for local use, and is often grown in home gardens in eastern Ecuador 20Reference 20Useful Tropical Plants (n.d.)Diplopterys cabrerana (Cuatrec.) B.Gates — habit, range, synonyms and use as an ayahuasca admixture — species databaseView study →.

Growing Conditions

Cultivation snapshot for Chagro-Panga

LifeperennialZoneUSDA 10–12
  • Frost-tender tropical woody vine (roughly USDA zones 10–12); full sun to part shade; a humid rainforest species.

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Phytochemistry

The leaves are dominated by the indole alkaloid N,N-DMT, at roughly 0.17–1.75% of dry leaf 1Reference 1Agurell S et al. · 1968Alkaloid content of Banisteriopsis rusbyana — phytochemical analysisView study →. Classic analysis of the leaf also found traces of 5-MeO-DMT, bufotenine and the β-carboline N-methyltetrahydro-beta-carboline 1Reference 1Agurell S et al. · 1968Alkaloid content of Banisteriopsis rusbyana — phytochemical analysisView study →.

Alkaloid levels vary between plants 1Reference 1Agurell S et al. · 1968Alkaloid content of Banisteriopsis rusbyana — phytochemical analysisView study →.

Constituent Summary

Figures are percentages of dried leaf. † marks the marker constituent.

Grouped by class · 4 compounds
Indole Alkaloid4 compounds4 with data
Indole AlkaloidN,N-DMT †~0.17–1.75% (marker) 1Reference 1Agurell S et al. · 1968Alkaloid content of Banisteriopsis rusbyana — phytochemical analysisView study →
Indole Alkaloid5-MeO-DMTtrace
Indole AlkaloidBufoteninetrace

Pharmacology & Research

No pharmacological or clinical study has tested Diplopterys cabrerana on its own. Its own literature is mid-twentieth-century phytochemistry establishing N,N-DMT as the main leaf alkaloid 1,2Reference 1Agurell S et al. · 1968Alkaloid content of Banisteriopsis rusbyana — phytochemical analysisView study →Reference 2Der Marderosian AH et al. · 1968Native use and occurrence of N,N-dimethyltryptamine in the leaves of Banisteriopsis rusbyana — phytochemical analysisView study →.

The rest comes from the ayahuasca brew it is used in and from the isolated tryptamines it contains. The β-carbolines of the ayahuasca vine inhibit monoamine oxidase, which is thought to let DMT survive digestion 3Reference 3McKenna DJ et al. · 1984In vitroMonoamine oxidase inhibitors in South American hallucinogenic plants: tryptamine and β-carboline constituents of ayahuasca — in vitro enzyme assayView study →. After a dose of ayahuasca, less than 1% of the DMT is excreted unchanged 4Reference 4Riba J et al. · 2012Metabolism and disposition of N,N-dimethyltryptamine and harmala alkaloids after oral administration of ayahuasca — human pharmacokinetic studyView study →.

On the brew, the strongest human evidence is antidepressant: one small randomised controlled trial and a supporting meta-analysis 5,8Reference 5Palhano-Fontes F et al. · 2019RCTRapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial — RCTView study →Reference 8Yao Y et al. · 2024Meta-analysisEfficacy and safety of psychedelics for the treatment of mental disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysisView study →. The work on DMT and neurogenesis is preclinical 10,11Reference 10Morales-García JA et al. · 2020In vitroN,N-dimethyltryptamine regulates adult neurogenesis in vitro and in vivo — animal and cell-line studyView study →Reference 11Lima da Cruz RV et al. · 2018AnimalA single dose of 5-MeO-DMT stimulates cell proliferation, neuronal survivability, morphological and functional changes in adult mice ventral dentate gyrus — in vivo animal studyView study →.

What the Evidence Supports
  • Best-supported: a rapid antidepressant effect of the ayahuasca brew, from one RCT (n=29, effect size d=1.49 at day 7) and a meta-analysis 5,8Reference 5Palhano-Fontes F et al. · 2019RCTRapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial — RCTView study →Reference 8Yao Y et al. · 2024Meta-analysisEfficacy and safety of psychedelics for the treatment of mental disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysisView study →.
  • Emerging, worth watching: DMT and 5-MeO-DMT stimulate adult hippocampal neurogenesis and neuroplasticity in animals and cell models, with sigma-1 and 5-HT2A signalling implicated 10,11,12Reference 10Morales-García JA et al. · 2020In vitroN,N-dimethyltryptamine regulates adult neurogenesis in vitro and in vivo — animal and cell-line studyView study →Reference 11Lima da Cruz RV et al. · 2018AnimalA single dose of 5-MeO-DMT stimulates cell proliferation, neuronal survivability, morphological and functional changes in adult mice ventral dentate gyrus — in vivo animal studyView study →Reference 12Dakic V et al. · 2017In vitroShort-term changes in the proteome of human cerebral organoids induced by 5-MeO-DMT — in vitro studyView study →.
  • Mechanistically thin: anxiety and general wellbeing rest mostly on secondary outcomes and acute mindfulness measures, not dedicated trials 9Reference 9Soler J et al. · 2016Clinical trialExploring the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca: acute intake increases mindfulness-related capacities — human studyView study →.
  • The caveat: the leaf’s DMT content varies widely, and it needs an MAO-inhibiting partner to act by mouth 1,3,4Reference 1Agurell S et al. · 1968Alkaloid content of Banisteriopsis rusbyana — phytochemical analysisView study →Reference 3McKenna DJ et al. · 1984In vitroMonoamine oxidase inhibitors in South American hallucinogenic plants: tryptamine and β-carboline constituents of ayahuasca — in vitro enzyme assayView study →Reference 4Riba J et al. · 2012Metabolism and disposition of N,N-dimethyltryptamine and harmala alkaloids after oral administration of ayahuasca — human pharmacokinetic studyView study →.

No study has used chaliponga itself. The human findings come from ayahuasca brews standardised by their DMT content (ayahuasca is most often made with chacruna), and the neurogenesis findings from isolated DMT and 5-MeO-DMT 5,10,11Reference 5Palhano-Fontes F et al. · 2019RCTRapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial — RCTView study →Reference 10Morales-García JA et al. · 2020In vitroN,N-dimethyltryptamine regulates adult neurogenesis in vitro and in vivo — animal and cell-line studyView study →Reference 11Lima da Cruz RV et al. · 2018AnimalA single dose of 5-MeO-DMT stimulates cell proliferation, neuronal survivability, morphological and functional changes in adult mice ventral dentate gyrus — in vivo animal studyView study →.

Evidence by IndicationStrength of support
64%
1. Antidepressant

In the only randomised controlled trial, a single dose of ayahuasca outperformed placebo in 29 patients with treatment-resistant depression. The between-group difference grew over the week after dosing (MADRS Cohen’s d = 1.49 at day 7), and the response rate at day 7 was 64% against 27% for placebo 5Reference 5Palhano-Fontes F et al. · 2019RCTRapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial — RCTView study →. Each patient received 1 mL/kg of a brew containing 0.36 mg/mL DMT 5Reference 5Palhano-Fontes F et al. · 2019RCTRapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial — RCTView study →.

This built on open-label work. Six inpatients showed reductions in depression scores of up to 82% over three weeks 6Reference 6Osório FL et al. · 2015Clinical trialAntidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression: a preliminary report — open-label trialView study →, and a companion single-photon emission tomography study linked the effect to increased blood flow in mood-regulating brain regions 7Reference 7Sanches RF et al. · 2016Clinical trialAntidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression — open-label SPECT studyView study →.

A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis placed ayahuasca’s pooled effect on mental disorders at Hedges’ g = −1.34 (95% CI −1.86 to −0.82), second to psilocybin among the four psychedelics examined 8Reference 8Yao Y et al. · 2024Meta-analysisEfficacy and safety of psychedelics for the treatment of mental disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysisView study →.

The active tryptamine in these brews is N,N-DMT, the main alkaloid of chaliponga leaf. The trial used a single batch of ayahuasca prepared by a Barquinha church and standardised by its DMT content. The paper does not name the leaf used, and notes that ayahuasca is most often made with chacruna 5Reference 5Palhano-Fontes F et al. · 2019RCTRapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial — RCTView study →.

Gap: no trial has used chaliponga. Its DMT content runs from 0.17% to 1.75% of dry weight, so the leaf has no reliable dose-response of its own 1Reference 1Agurell S et al. · 1968Alkaloid content of Banisteriopsis rusbyana — phytochemical analysisView study →.

2. Neuroplasticity & Neurogenesis

In mice given N,N-DMT by intraperitoneal injection with an MAO inhibitor, DMT activated the subgranular zone of the hippocampal dentate gyrus, a main site of adult neurogenesis. It increased the production of new neurons and improved performance on memory tasks. A sigma-1 receptor antagonist blocked the effect 10Reference 10Morales-García JA et al. · 2020In vitroN,N-dimethyltryptamine regulates adult neurogenesis in vitro and in vivo — animal and cell-line studyView study →.

The leaf’s minor constituent 5-MeO-DMT gave a parallel result. A single dose injected into the brain’s ventricles stimulated dentate-gyrus cell proliferation and neuronal survival in adult mice 11Reference 11Lima da Cruz RV et al. · 2018AnimalA single dose of 5-MeO-DMT stimulates cell proliferation, neuronal survivability, morphological and functional changes in adult mice ventral dentate gyrus — in vivo animal studyView study →. In human cerebral organoids it rapidly changed proteins that govern cell structure and synapses 12Reference 12Dakic V et al. · 2017In vitroShort-term changes in the proteome of human cerebral organoids induced by 5-MeO-DMT — in vitro studyView study →.

Receptor-level work places these tryptamines as agonists at 5-HT2A and, for the methoxylated compound, 5-HT1A 13,14Reference 13Warren AL et al. · 2024Structural pharmacology and therapeutic potential of 5-methoxytryptamines — receptor pharmacologyView study →Reference 14Riga MS et al. · 2018AnimalThe serotonin hallucinogen 5-MeO-DMT alters cortico-thalamic activity in freely moving mice — in vivo animal studyView study →. 5-HT2A activation drives ayahuasca’s measurable effects on brain rhythms in humans 15Reference 15Valle M et al. · 2016RCTInhibition of alpha oscillations through serotonin-2A receptor activation underlies the visual effects of ayahuasca in humans — randomized controlled studyView study →.

Gap: every experiment used isolated compounds by injection, not a leaf drunk in a brew, and none measured neurogenesis in a person.

3. Anxiety & Wellbeing

In 25 people assessed before and 24 hours after an ayahuasca session, scores rose on measures of mindfulness, including less judgmental and less reactive responses to inner experience 9Reference 9Soler J et al. · 2016Clinical trialExploring the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca: acute intake increases mindfulness-related capacities — human studyView study →. The study had no control group.

Improvements in anxiety also appear as secondary outcomes in the depression studies, and the 2024 meta-analysis reported benefits extending to anxiety symptoms 6,8Reference 6Osório FL et al. · 2015Clinical trialAntidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression: a preliminary report — open-label trialView study →Reference 8Yao Y et al. · 2024Meta-analysisEfficacy and safety of psychedelics for the treatment of mental disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysisView study →.

No primary anxiety-disorder trial exists, and the data describe the brew rather than the leaf.

Mechanisms

DMT is broken down in the gut by monoamine oxidase, so it is inactive by mouth on its own. In ayahuasca the β-carbolines of the vine inhibit that enzyme 3,4Reference 3McKenna DJ et al. · 1984In vitroMonoamine oxidase inhibitors in South American hallucinogenic plants: tryptamine and β-carboline constituents of ayahuasca — in vitro enzyme assayView study →Reference 4Riba J et al. · 2012Metabolism and disposition of N,N-dimethyltryptamine and harmala alkaloids after oral administration of ayahuasca — human pharmacokinetic studyView study →.

N,N-DMT is an agonist at the 5-HT2A receptor, which drives the brew’s acute visual effects in humans, and activates the sigma-1 receptor, which has been studied for neurogenesis 10,15Reference 10Morales-García JA et al. · 2020In vitroN,N-dimethyltryptamine regulates adult neurogenesis in vitro and in vivo — animal and cell-line studyView study →Reference 15Valle M et al. · 2016RCTInhibition of alpha oscillations through serotonin-2A receptor activation underlies the visual effects of ayahuasca in humans — randomized controlled studyView study →. The trace 5-MeO-DMT also acts at 5-HT1A 13,14Reference 13Warren AL et al. · 2024Structural pharmacology and therapeutic potential of 5-methoxytryptamines — receptor pharmacologyView study →Reference 14Riga MS et al. · 2018AnimalThe serotonin hallucinogen 5-MeO-DMT alters cortico-thalamic activity in freely moving mice — in vivo animal studyView study →.

MechanismDrivesKey compounds
5-HT2A receptor agonism
antidepressantanxiety/wellbeingacute visionary effects
N,N-DMT, 5-MeO-DMT
Sigma-1 receptor activation
neuroplasticityneurogenesis
N,N-DMT
5-HT1A receptor agonism
acute effects of 5-MeO-DMT
5-MeO-DMT
Monoamine oxidase inhibition (by the vine’s β-carbolines)
oral activity of the leaf’s DMT
harmine, harmaline and tetrahydroharmine from the ayahuasca vine

Clinical Trials

No registered clinical trial has studied Diplopterys cabrerana itself. The ayahuasca and DMT trials on ClinicalTrials.gov test the whole brew or the isolated compound, so the numbers below count the ayahuasca trials the plant’s use feeds into, not chaliponga.

CompletedPlannedTerminatedPreclinical
~6(ayahuasca)~4(recruiting/not-yet)0~10+

Last checked: July 2026.

Dosage

Chaliponga is not taken on its own, and no dose of the leaf has been studied. The trials dosed ayahuasca by its DMT content.

IndicationPreparationDoseEst. dried-herb equivalentSource
AntidepressantStandardised ayahuasca (church-prepared batch)Single dose, 1 mL/kg of brew containing 0.36 mg/mL DMT— (standardised to DMT, not to chaliponga leaf)5Reference 5Palhano-Fontes F et al. · 2019RCTRapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial — RCTView study →
AntidepressantAyahuasca (open-label)Single dose—6,7Reference 6Osório FL et al. · 2015Clinical trialAntidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression: a preliminary report — open-label trialView study →Reference 7Sanches RF et al. · 2016Clinical trialAntidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression — open-label SPECT studyView study →
NeuroplasticityIsolated DMT / 5-MeO-DMT, mice (injected)Not applicable to people—10,11Reference 10Morales-García JA et al. · 2020In vitroN,N-dimethyltryptamine regulates adult neurogenesis in vitro and in vivo — animal and cell-line studyView study →Reference 11Lima da Cruz RV et al. · 2018AnimalA single dose of 5-MeO-DMT stimulates cell proliferation, neuronal survivability, morphological and functional changes in adult mice ventral dentate gyrus — in vivo animal studyView study →

Traditional Dosage

The leaves are boiled with the ayahuasca vine, and the quantities are set by the practitioner rather than by weight.

SystemPreparationDose
Amazonian (Indigenous/mestizo) ceremonialLeaves boiled with Banisteriopsis caapi into an ayahuasca decoctionNot standardised; set by the practitioner, always with the vine

Safety & Pregnancy

Chaliponga carries the risks of the ayahuasca brew it is used in. The MAO inhibition that makes its DMT active by mouth also causes the main drug interactions. DMT is a controlled substance in many countries.

Safety at a Glance
PsychedelicDrug interactionsControlled substance
  • Serotonin toxicity. Ayahuasca taken with SSRIs or other serotonergic drugs can cause serotonin syndrome 16Reference 16Callaway JC · 1998ReviewAyahuasca preparations and serotonin reuptake inhibitors: a potential combination for severe adverse interactions — case-based pharmacology reviewView study →.
  • MAO-inhibitor interactions. The brew’s MAO inhibition interacts with many medicines and with tyramine-rich foods.
  • Avoid in pregnancy and breastfeeding. No human safety data for chaliponga.
  • Potent tryptamines. The leaf also holds small amounts of 5-MeO-DMT and bufotenine 1Reference 1Agurell S et al. · 1968Alkaloid content of Banisteriopsis rusbyana — phytochemical analysisView study →.
  • Controlled substance. DMT is illegal in many countries.
  • Screened, experienced settings. Cardiovascular and psychiatric risks call for medical screening 18Reference 18Hamill J et al. · 2019ReviewAyahuasca: psychological and physiologic effects, pharmacology and potential uses in addiction and mental illness — reviewView study →.
Full Safety Detail

Serotonergic drugs. The MAO-inhibiting harmala alkaloids in ayahuasca, combined with SSRI antidepressants, may cause serotonin syndrome, with potentially grave outcome 16Reference 16Callaway JC · 1998ReviewAyahuasca preparations and serotonin reuptake inhibitors: a potential combination for severe adverse interactions — case-based pharmacology reviewView study →. Chaliponga should never be used alongside serotonergic medication.

MAO inhibition. The brew’s MAO inhibition makes the body sensitive to tyramine-containing foods and to many medications, with a risk of hypertensive reactions.

General safety. Reviews find that acute and long-term ayahuasca use does not seem seriously toxic in healthy adults, but cardiovascular, psychiatric and drug-interaction risks are real 17,18Reference 17dos Santos RG · 2013ReviewSafety and side effects of ayahuasca in humans — an overview focusing on developmental toxicology — reviewView study →Reference 18Hamill J et al. · 2019ReviewAyahuasca: psychological and physiologic effects, pharmacology and potential uses in addiction and mental illness — reviewView study →.

Minor tryptamines. The leaf also supplies small amounts of 5-MeO-DMT and bufotenine 1,13Reference 1Agurell S et al. · 1968Alkaloid content of Banisteriopsis rusbyana — phytochemical analysisView study →Reference 13Warren AL et al. · 2024Structural pharmacology and therapeutic potential of 5-methoxytryptamines — receptor pharmacologyView study →.

Legal status. DMT is a controlled substance in many jurisdictions 18Reference 18Hamill J et al. · 2019ReviewAyahuasca: psychological and physiologic effects, pharmacology and potential uses in addiction and mental illness — reviewView study →.

Pregnancy & Lactation
Avoid in pregnancy Avoid while breastfeeding

Avoid. Chaliponga has not been studied in pregnancy or breastfeeding.

For the ayahuasca brew, some animal developmental studies suggested possible toxic effects. The limited human reports on adolescents exposed to ayahuasca in the womb found no serious toxic effects, but the data are too few for a conclusion 17Reference 17dos Santos RG · 2013ReviewSafety and side effects of ayahuasca in humans — an overview focusing on developmental toxicology — reviewView study →. The brew contains MAO-inhibiting and serotonergic alkaloids.

References

  1. Agurell S, Holmstedt B, Lindgren JE (1968). Alkaloid content of Banisteriopsis rusbyana — phytochemical analysis. Am J Pharm Sci Support Public Health, 140(5), 148–51. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/5698439/
  2. Der Marderosian AH, Pinkley HV, Dobbins MF. (1968). Native use and occurrence of N,N-dimethyltryptamine in the leaves of Banisteriopsis rusbyana — phytochemical analysis. Am J Pharm Sci Support Public Health. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/5698438/
  3. McKenna DJ, Towers GHN, Abbott F. (1984). Monoamine oxidase inhibitors in South American hallucinogenic plants: tryptamine and β-carboline constituents of ayahuasca — in vitro enzyme assay. J Ethnopharmacol. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6587171/
  4. Riba J, McIlhenny EH, Valle M, et al. (2012). Metabolism and disposition of N,N-dimethyltryptamine and harmala alkaloids after oral administration of ayahuasca — human pharmacokinetic study. Drug Test Anal. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22514127/
  5. Palhano-Fontes F, Barreto D, Onias H, et al. (2019). Rapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial — RCT. Psychol Med. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29903051/
  6. Osório FL, Sanches RF, Macedo LR, et al. (2015). Antidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression: a preliminary report — open-label trial. Braz J Psychiatry. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25806551/
  7. Sanches RF, de Lima Osório F, dos Santos RG, et al. (2016). Antidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression — open-label SPECT study. J Clin Psychopharmacol. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26650973/
  8. Yao Y, Guo D, Lu TS, et al. (2024). Efficacy and safety of psychedelics for the treatment of mental disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry Res. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38574699/
  9. Soler J, Elices M, Franquesa A, et al. (2016). Exploring the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca: acute intake increases mindfulness-related capacities — human study. Psychopharmacology (Berl). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26612618/
  10. Morales-García JA, Calleja-Conde J, López-Moreno JA, et al. (2020). N,N-dimethyltryptamine regulates adult neurogenesis in vitro and in vivo — animal and cell-line study. Transl Psychiatry. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32989216/
  11. Lima da Cruz RV, Moulin TC, Petiz LL, Leão RN. (2018). A single dose of 5-MeO-DMT stimulates cell proliferation, neuronal survivability, morphological and functional changes in adult mice ventral dentate gyrus — in vivo animal study. Front Mol Neurosci. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30233313/
  12. Dakic V, Minardi Nascimento J, Costa Sartore R, et al. (2017). Short-term changes in the proteome of human cerebral organoids induced by 5-MeO-DMT — in vitro study. Sci Rep. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28993683/
  13. Warren AL, Lankri D, Cunningham MJ, et al. (2024). Structural pharmacology and therapeutic potential of 5-methoxytryptamines — receptor pharmacology. Nature. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38720072/
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