Iboga
Tabernanthe ibogaApocynaceae // root bark · roots
Also known as: iboga
Preparation
Overview
Plant parts
root bark, roots
Known constituents
ibogaine, ibogamine, tabernanthine
Research corpus coverage
Chemistry notes
- Principal reported constituents include ibogaine, ibogamine, tabernanthine; broad class: complex monoamine transporter/NMDA/sigma and hERG-active indole alkaloids.
Uses & Evidence
Traditional / historical use
Documented traditional use — not a claim of established efficacy.
No traditional-use records in this corpus.
Modern evidence
Related Tabernanthe and Voacanga materials may be substituted; alkaloid profiles differ.
MODERATE · The Anti-Addiction Drug Ibogaine and the Heart: A Delicate Relation
Identity/attribution caution.
Safety
Human
- Critical
Safety severity is CRITICAL: QT prolongation, arrhythmia, ataxia, seizures and deaths reported
Intrinsic toxicity · HIGH · The Anti-Addiction Drug Ibogaine and the Heart: A Delicate Relation
Additional safety notes (general, unstructured)
Free-text safety notes carried from their source — not broken out by species, route, or hazard type, and not equivalent to the structured records above. Each note names the kind of source it came from.
Safety severity is CRITICAL: QT prolongation, arrhythmia, ataxia, seizures and deaths reported
HIGH · The Anti-Addiction Drug Ibogaine and the Heart: A Delicate Relation
Preparation × species risk matrix
Unknown means insufficient evidence was located — not that a form is safe.
Cats
- tinctureCaution
- concentrated extractUnknown
- essential oilUnknown
- glyceriteUnknown
- infused oilUnknown
- salveUnknown
- smoke/combustionUnknown
- tea/infusionUnknown
- whole herbUnknown
Dogs
- tinctureCaution
- concentrated extractUnknown
- essential oilUnknown
- glyceriteUnknown
- infused oilUnknown
- salveUnknown
- smoke/combustionUnknown
- tea/infusionUnknown
- whole herbUnknown
Identity
- Synonym
GBIF lists Iboga vateriana Braun-Blanq. & K.Schum. as a taxonomic synonym of Tabernanthe iboga.
HIGH · GBIF Species Synonyms API
Common name
iboga
Traditions
Bwiti and related traditions
Gabon and neighboring Central Africa // 19th–20th-century documentation; living tradition // living tradition
Ethnobotanical
Iboga is documented in Bwiti and related traditions in Gabon and neighboring Central Africa for initiation, healing and communal religious practice.
HIGH · The Anti-Addiction Drug Ibogaine and the Heart: A Delicate Relation
Ritual
Documented functions include initiatory, healing, spirit-contact, social; these functions are tradition-specific and should not be generalized across cultures.
HIGH · The Anti-Addiction Drug Ibogaine and the Heart: A Delicate Relation
Legal
Legal status changes over time and by jurisdiction — this is a dated snapshot, not current law.
International · Checked 2026-08-09
Varies substantially by country; constituent controls and plant-specific controls are not uniform.
State / municipal · Checked 2026-08-09
Material state and municipal variation may apply; verify jurisdiction at time of use.
US Federal · Checked 2026-08-09
Ibogaine is Schedule I federally; plant status may be interpreted through its controlled constituent.
Sources
Research records are source-linked but may not yet be editorially reviewed.
peer-reviewed article
- 21 CFR 1308.11 — Schedule I1 claim
government/regulatory source
- GBIF Species Synonyms API1 claim
authoritative taxonomic database