Jurema

The root bark, reddish and fibrous, is dug and dried. Among Indigenous and mestizo peoples of the northeastern caatinga it is prepared as vinho da jurema, “jurema wine”, a sacred drink taken in religious ritual ^{14,19Reference 14Duarte-Filho et al. · 2022Duarte-Filho, L. A. M. S., Amariz, I. A., Nishimura, R. H. V., et al. (2022). β-carboline-independent antidepressant-like effect of the standardized extract of the barks of Mimosa tenuiflora. Journal of Psychopharmacology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35723216/View study →Reference 19de Sousa RP et al. · 2024Unraveling the metabolomic profile and acute toxicity of ethanolic extract from Mimosa tenuiflora root barkView study →}. The practice continues within syncretic religions of the region.

DMT is not active by mouth on its own unless an MAO inhibitor is also taken. Unlike Amazonian ayahuasca, which pairs its DMT plant with an MAOI vine, the jurema tradition has no consistently recorded MAOI partner plant.

As a household remedy, jurema preta is used in Brazil for bronchitis, fever, headache and inflammation ^{11Reference 11Magalhães et al. · 2018Orofacial antinociceptive effect of Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) PoiretView study →}. In Contendas do Sincorá, Bahia, the bark is used for coughs and for wound healing ^{10Reference 10Cruz et al. · 2016Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of the ethanolic extract, fractions and flavones isolated from Mimosa tenuifloraView study →}.

In Mexico the same tree’s bark is tepezcohuite. It is commonly used in Mexico and Central America for burns and skin lesions, and here the tradition is about the skin rather than the root or its alkaloids ^{28Reference 28Rivera-Arce et al. · 2007Pharmacognostical studies of the plant drug Mimosae tenuiflorae cortex — pharmacognosyView study →}. The bark is powdered and applied directly to burns, wounds and other skin lesions ^{6,28Reference 6Lozoya et al. · 1989Experimental evaluation of Mimosa tenuiflora (tepescohuite) I: screening of antimicrobial properties of bark extractsView study →Reference 28Rivera-Arce et al. · 2007Pharmacognostical studies of the plant drug Mimosae tenuiflorae cortex — pharmacognosyView study →}.

This is the best-replicated activity. Early Mexican work showed that water and ethanol extracts of the dried bark inhibit a broad panel of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, yeasts and dermatophytes in vitro ^{6Reference 6Lozoya et al. · 1989Experimental evaluation of Mimosa tenuiflora (tepescohuite) I: screening of antimicrobial properties of bark extractsView study →}. A follow-up found the antimicrobial activity in the tannin-rich ethyl-acetate extract ^{7Reference 7Meckes-Lozoya et al. · 1990In vitroPharmacological properties in vitro of various extracts of Mimosa tenuiflora (tepescohuite)View study →}.

A 2021 review of the previous decade’s studies found consistent in vitro activity against bacteria and fungi of medical importance, and pointed to flavonoids and tannins as the likely active compounds ^{9Reference 9Ferreira et al. · 2021ReviewMimosa tenuiflora’s antimicrobial activity on bacteria and fungi of medical importance: an integrative reviewView study →}.

In a rabbit burn model, sterile bark powder, 2% mupirocin ointment and saline gave statistically indistinguishable results. The authors judged the bark’s efficacy low and, citing possible liver toxicity, advised against its use in people ^{8Reference 8Palacios et al. · 1991Cicatricial, antibacterial and antimycotic effects of tepescohuite in experimental animalsView study →}.

The activity follows the caffeic acid, gallic acid and condensed-tannin content rather than the DMT, so it belongs to the topical bark preparation, not the ritual drink.

Gap: almost all data are in-vitro zone-of-inhibition or MIC screens; there is no controlled clinical trial of jurema bark as a topical antiseptic in humans.

Rodent studies agree here. A bark ethanol extract reduced writhing (100–200 mg/kg), the second phase of the formalin test (50–200 mg/kg) and mechanical hypernociception (100 mg/kg) in mice. At 100 mg/kg it cut neutrophil migration and myeloperoxidase activity and lowered ICAM-1 expression. The isolated flavanone sakuranetin reduced writhing and neutrophil migration ^{10Reference 10Cruz et al. · 2016Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of the ethanolic extract, fractions and flavones isolated from Mimosa tenuifloraView study →}.

A separate group tested the bark’s ethyl-acetate fraction in mouse models of face and jaw pain. It reduced pain behaviour from several chemical triggers and reversed neuropathic pain, and the effect was blocked by naloxone, L-NAME and glibenclamide. This points to opioid, nitric-oxide and ATP-sensitive potassium-channel signalling ^{11Reference 11Magalhães et al. · 2018Orofacial antinociceptive effect of Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) PoiretView study →}.

Bark extract also reduced the inflammatory response to Tityus serrulatus scorpion venom in mice, lowering IL-6, IL-12 and IL-1β ^{12Reference 12Bitencourt et al. · 2014Neutralizing effects of Mimosa tenuiflora extracts against inflammation caused by Tityus serrulatus scorpion venomView study →}.

Every study is in animals, and neither the doses nor the extract types map onto a human oral or topical regimen.

The bark’s high load of phenolic acids and condensed tannins gives it consistent radical-scavenging activity ^{11,13Reference 11Magalhães et al. · 2018Orofacial antinociceptive effect of Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) PoiretView study →Reference 13Santiago RF et al. · 2025Novel chemical constituents identified by UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS and biological activities of three Mimosa speciesView study →}.

A 2025 study of the stem bark of three Mimosa species found that M. tenuiflora had the highest total phenol content and the strongest antioxidant and anticholinesterase activity of the three ^{13Reference 13Santiago RF et al. · 2025Novel chemical constituents identified by UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS and biological activities of three Mimosa speciesView study →}.

Condensed tannins from a water extract of the bark also suppress aflatoxin B1 production by Aspergillus flavus without affecting the mould’s growth ^{18Reference 18Hernandez et al. · 2021Mimosa tenuiflora aqueous extract: role of condensed tannins in anti-aflatoxin B1 activity in Aspergillus flavusView study →}.

These are measurements in the test tube. No study shows a whole-body antioxidant effect in an animal or a person.

A standardised bark extract containing 24.7 mg/g DMT, along with yuremamine, had an antidepressant-like effect in the mouse tail-suspension and forced-swim tests ^{14Reference 14Duarte-Filho et al. · 2022Duarte-Filho, L. A. M. S., Amariz, I. A., Nishimura, R. H. V., et al. (2022). β-carboline-independent antidepressant-like effect of the standardized extract of the barks of Mimosa tenuiflora. Journal of Psychopharmacology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35723216/View study →}. The effect did not need added harmine, and it was blocked by the 5-HT2A/2C antagonist ketanserin, pointing to a serotonergic mechanism ^{14Reference 14Duarte-Filho et al. · 2022Duarte-Filho, L. A. M. S., Amariz, I. A., Nishimura, R. H. V., et al. (2022). β-carboline-independent antidepressant-like effect of the standardized extract of the barks of Mimosa tenuiflora. Journal of Psychopharmacology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35723216/View study →}.

An alkaloid fraction of the root bark, in which DMT was identified, reduced anxiety-like behaviour in mice in two standard tests ^{15Reference 15Ferreira JVBP et al. · 2025The anxiolytic-like effect of the alkaloid fraction of the psychedelic plant Mimosa tenuifloraView study →}.

In adult zebrafish, the bark’s ethyl-acetate fraction, whose main compound is benzyloxyamine, had anxiety-reducing effects similar to diazepam and antidepressant-like effects similar to fluoxetine. Both were reversed by GABAergic and serotonergic antagonists ^{16Reference 16Feitosa de Araújo JI et al. · 2025Neuropharmacological potential of Mimosa tenuiflora in adult zebrafish: GABAergic and serotonergic neuromodulationView study →}.

Gap: all effects are in animal behavioural models, and the psychoactivity is inseparable from DMT’s controlled status and its MAOI-dependent oral activity — there is no controlled study of jurema as an oral antidepressant.

In vitro, a plain water extract of the bark reduced the viability of dermal fibroblasts. The arabinogalactans precipitated from it with ethanol did the opposite, stimulating fibroblast activity and proliferation while barely affecting keratinocytes ^{5Reference 5Zippel et al. · 2009Arabinogalactans from Mimosa tenuiflora bark as active principles for wound healing: enhancement of dermal fibroblast activityView study →}.

Two randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials have tested a bark-extract hydrogel in venous leg ulcers. In the first, the gel contained 5% of a crude extract standardised to 1.8% tannins. After eight weeks, ulcer size fell by 92% on average in the extract group, while only one control patient improved ^{27Reference 27Rivera-Arce et al. · 2007RCTTherapeutic effectiveness of a Mimosa tenuiflora cortex extract in venous leg ulceration treatment — randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trialView study →}.

In the second, 41 patients used a hydrogel containing M. tenuiflora cortex extract or the same gel alone. Ulcer area fell by 6.29 cm² with the extract and 5.85 cm² without it, a difference that was not significant (p = 0.815) ^{3Reference 3Lammoglia-Ordiales et al. · 2012RCTA randomised comparative trial on the use of a hydrogel with tepescohuite extract (Mimosa tenuiflora cortex extract-2G) in the treatment of venous leg ulcers — randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trialView study →}.

A systematic review with meta-analysis pooled these two trials, 42 patients in all, found high heterogeneity, and described the extract as promising ^{4Reference 4Freitas et al. · 2017Meta-analysisThe use of medicinal plants in venous ulcers: a systematic review with meta-analysisView study →}.

Gap: the two controlled trials disagree, both are small, and the fibroblast effect has not been linked to a clinical outcome.

A 2026 rat study tested DMT extracted from M. tenuiflora roots after the L4–L6 spinal nerve roots were torn away. Daily DMT injections for two weeks, at 1 mg/kg (the best of the three doses tested), improved motor-neuron survival, reduced glial reactivity and preserved nerve terminals ^{17Reference 17Aponte PAC et al. · 2026AnimalCombined neuroprotective effects of N,N-dimethyltryptamine and ventral root reimplantation following spinal root avulsion in ratsView study →}. The effect was stronger when combined with surgical reimplantation of the roots, which also raised GDNF expression ^{17Reference 17Aponte PAC et al. · 2026AnimalCombined neuroprotective effects of N,N-dimethyltryptamine and ventral root reimplantation following spinal root avulsion in ratsView study →}.

This is one animal study of a purified constituent, not of any jurema preparation.

Reproductive harm in animals. Craniofacial defects, eye malformations and bent forelimbs are common in ruminants grazing the semi-arid rangelands of northeastern Brazil. Goats fed fresh M. tenuiflora through pregnancy produced kids with similar defects ^{23Reference 23Pimentel et al. · 2007Mimosa tenuiflora as a cause of malformations in ruminants in the northeastern Brazilian semiarid rangelandsView study →}. Goats fed the plant for the first 30 days of pregnancy lost their embryos ^{21Reference 21Dantas et al. · 2012Embryonic death in goats caused by the ingestion of Mimosa tenuifloraView study →}.

Rats fed a ration containing 10% M. tenuiflora seeds had fetuses with bone malformations: 90 malformations in 40 of 101 fetuses, against four in three of 58 controls ^{24Reference 24Medeiros et al. · 2008AnimalTeratogenicity of Mimosa tenuiflora seeds to pregnant ratsView study →}. In another rat study, plant material, its alkaloid extracts and the purified tryptamines N-methyltryptamine and DMT all raised the rate of cleft palate and skeletal malformations ^{22Reference 22Gardner et al. · 2014AnimalTeratogenic effects of Mimosa tenuiflora in a rat model and possible role of N-methyl- and N,N-dimethyltryptamineView study →}. A 2021 review of 24 studies concluded that the plant is embryotoxic, fetotoxic and abortive in farm animals, especially sheep and goats ^{20Reference 20Lima Bezerra et al. · 2021Systematic reviewPhytochemistry and teratogenic potential of Mimosa tenuiflora in ruminants: a systematic reviewView study →}.

Skin products. All of this evidence comes from animals eating the plant. Exposure through the skin has not been studied, and the same species is sold widely as tepezcohuite in skin and hair products.

General toxicity. In mice, a single oral dose of root-bark ethanolic extract up to 2,000 mg/kg caused no deaths, but it changed kidney weights and blood and biochemical markers, and caused tissue changes in the heart, liver and kidneys ^{19Reference 19de Sousa RP et al. · 2024Unraveling the metabolomic profile and acute toxicity of ethanolic extract from Mimosa tenuiflora root barkView study →}. An older study examined tepezcohuite for mutagenic potential in the Drosophila wing-spot test ^{26Reference 26Pimentel et al. · 1991Evaluation of the mutagenic potential of tepezcohuite in the Drosophila wing spot testView study →}. The authors of a rabbit burn study advised against human use of the bark powder, citing possible liver toxicity and low efficacy ^{8Reference 8Palacios et al. · 1991Cicatricial, antibacterial and antimycotic effects of tepescohuite in experimental animalsView study →}.

Ritual use. DMT on its own is short-acting, but combining it with MAO inhibitors, as in jurema-based brews, brings serious risks. These include dangerous interactions with tyramine-rich foods and with many medications, especially SSRIs and other serotonergic or sympathomimetic drugs, and a risk of serotonin toxicity or hypertensive crisis. The effects can be intensely disorienting, and DMT is a controlled substance in most countries regardless of plant source.

Variable composition. The chemistry of the stem bark shifts through the year, including its DMT content ^{25Reference 25de Souza NAC et al. · 2025Seasonal effect on the chemical composition of Mimosa tenuiflora stem bark from the semi-arid region of Pernambuco, BrazilView study →}, so neither the topical nor the ceremonial preparation is standardised.