Psychotria bahiensis

Psychotria bahiensis, commonly known as a significant medicinal shrub in tropical regions, holds great ethnobotanical value. Primarily recognized for its bioactive alkaloids, this plant is traditionally utilized in folk medicine to treat various ailments. Understanding its pharmacological properties is essential for exploring its potential in modern therapeutic developments.

  • Scientific name: Psychotria bahiensis
  • Family: Rubiaceae
  • Native range: Southern America

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Gentianaales, it is classified under the family Rubiaceae. It is specifically identified by the genus Psychotria, with its species designation being Psychotria bahiensis.

Rank Classification Source
Kingdom Plantae WCVP
Phylum Streptophyta WCVP
Class Equisetopsida WCVP
Subclass Magnoliidae WCVP
Order Gentianales WCVP
Family Rubiaceae WCVP
Genus Psychotria WCVP

Common Names

This plant, Psychotria bahiensis, is known by various names depending on the region and language. In English, it is commonly referred to as Bahamian psychotria, while in Spanish, it is known as psicotria bahiense.
Language Common Name Source

Distribution

This plant is primarily found within specific regions of Brazil. Its geographical range extends across the diverse landscapes of the Brazil Northeast. Additionally, the species can be located within the Brazil Southeast area. These two distinct regions represent the core of its known natural habitat. Consequently, its distribution is closely tied to the environmental conditions of these Brazilian territories.

Region Area Source
Brazil Brazil Northeast WCVP
Brazil Brazil Southeast WCVP

Plant Parts

This plant, Psychotria bahiensis, is primarily utilized in traditional medicine through its aerial parts. These above-ground components, which encompass the leaves, stems, and occasionally the flowers, contain the bioactive compounds necessary for its therapeutic properties. When preparing decoctions or infusions, practitioners typically harvest these aerial parts to extract the medicinal constituents required for treatment.
Total parts
1
Scientific sources
1
Plant Part Sources Confidence
aerial parts 1 ★☆☆☆☆

Chemicals

Psychotria bahiensis has 6 reported phytochemicals identified across 6 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include (Z)-vallesiachotamine, 5alpha-carboxystrictosidine, angustine, bahienoside A, bahienoside B.

Total chemicals
6
Scientific sources
6

Most Reported Compounds

Compound Sources Confidence
(Z)-vallesiachotamine 1 ★☆☆☆☆
5alpha-carboxystrictosidine 1 ★☆☆☆☆
angustine 1 ★☆☆☆☆
bahienoside A 1 ★☆☆☆☆
bahienoside B 1 ★☆☆☆☆
strictosamide 1 ★☆☆☆☆