Ipecacuanha (Psychotria Ipecacuanha) of the family Rubiaceae is a flowering plant, the root of which is most commonly used to make syrup of ipecac.
The plant had been assigned different names by various botanists, including Cephaelis acuminata, Cephaelis Ipecacuanha, Psychotria Ipecacuanha, and Uragoga Ipecacuanha.
Its name derives from the native Brazilian "Tupi i-pe-kaa-guéne", translated as 'road-side sick-making plant'.
Ipecac as a powerful emetic, is used in gastrointestinal diseases, diarrhea, and intermitent fevers. It is employed as an expectorant, in bronchitis, broncopneumonia, asthma and mumps, and also as a vasoconstrictor.
It is native to Brazil. For climatic reasons it will not grow elsewhere and attempts to synthesize the product has failed for human consumption.
Psychotria Ipecacuanha (Brot.) Stokes [= Cephaelis Ipecacuanha (Brot.) A.Rich.] is a shrub. It's medicinal value relates to the production of emetine in the roots.
As as a native plant of Brazil, growing in clumps or patches in moist shady forests from 8° to 22° S., it has also be found in New Granada and probably in Bolivia.
Ipecacuanha, although in common use in Brazil, was not employed in Europe previous to 1672. In France within a few years after that date it formed the chief ingredient in a remedy for dysentery, the secret of the composition of which was purchased by the French Government for 1000 louis d'or, and made public in 1688. The botanical source of Ipecacuanha was not accurately known until 1800. The root appears to be possessed of very great vitality, for in 1869 M. Nab, of the Botanical Gardens of Edinburgh, discovered that so small a portion as i of an inch of the annulated root, placed in suitable soil, would throw out a leaf-bud and develop into a fresh plant, while Lindsay, a gardener in the same establishment, proved that even the leafstalk is capable of producing roots and buds; hence there is but little probability of the plant being destroyed in its native habitat.
The great value of the drug in dysentery, and its rapid increase in price from an average of 2s. 91d. per lb. in 1850 to about 8s. 9d. per lb in 1870, led to attempts to acclimatize the plant in India, which, however, have not hitherto proved to be a commercial success, owing to the difficulty of finding suitable spots for its cultivation, and to its slowness of growth. Like other dimorphic plants, Ipecacuanha ripens seeds best when cross-fertilized, and presents various forms. Two of these were described by the late Professor F. M. Balfour.
The global production of ipecac averages likely 100 t a year in the 1970's/80's, originated mainly Brazil. Considering the economic and medicinal values of ipecac, the deforestation of the areas of occurrence and the extrativist nature of its production.
The activity of the drug resides chiefly in the cortical portion, and hence the presence of the stem diminishes its value.
Ipecacuanha owes its properties to the presence of rather more than 1% of the alkaloid emetine, which, with the exception of traces, occurs only in the cortical Ipecacuanha Plant. The root is a white amorphous substance, with the formula C20H30N05. It has a bitter taste, no odor, and turns yellow when exposed to air and light. There are also present a volatile oil, starch, gum, and a glucoside, which is a modification of tannin and is known as ipecacuanhic acid. The dose of the powdered root is 4 to 2 grains when an expectorant action is desired, and from 15 to 30 grains when it is given as an emetic, which is one of its most valuable functions. The Pharmacopoeias contain a very large number of preparations of this substance, most of which are standardized. A preparation from which the emetine has been removed, and known as "de-emetized Ipecacuanha" is also in use for cases of dysentery.
The actions of Ipecac are mainly those of its major alkaloids, emetine (methylcephalin) and cephalin. They both act locally by irritating the gastric mucosa and centrally by stimulating the medullary chemoreceptor trigger zone to induce vomiting.
The chief constituents of Ipecacuanha root are the alkaloids Emetine, Cephaelin and Psychotrine, of which the bark may contain from 1.5 to 2 per cent, of which about 72 per cent consists of Emetine and 26 per cent of Cephaelin, while only 2 per cent consists of Psychotrine.
Emetine, to which Ipecacuanha owes its properties and which, with the exception of traces, occurs only in the cortical portion of the root, is an amorphous white powder, but it forms crystalline salts. It has a bitter taste, no odor and turns yellow when exposed to air and light.