Virola sebifera is a species of tree in the family Myristicaceae, from North and South America.Markus Wiesenauer, Suzann Kirschner-Brouns: Homöopathie - Das große Handbuch, Gräfe & Unzer Verlag, 2007,
Description V. sebifera is a tall, thin tree which grows tall. The leaves are simple and grow up to long. The small flowers are single-sexed and are found in panicles. The fruit is reddish, oval-shaped, and about long and about in diameter. The individual Virola trees, which include 40 to 60 species, are difficult to differentiate from one another.Christian Rätsch: Enzyklopädie der psychoaktiven Pflanzen. AT Verlag, 2007, 8. Auflage,
Vernacular names English: red ucuuba.Virola sebifera | Henriette's Herbal Homepage
Portuguese: .
Chemical constituents The bark of the tree is rich in tannins and also the hallucinogenAndreas Kelich: Halluzinogene Rauschdrogen: Botanischer Teil: Virola spp.: V. sebifera dimethyltryptamine (DMT), as well as 5-MeO-DMT. The ripe seeds contain fatty acid glycerides, especially laurodimyristin and trimyristin.Karl Hiller, Matthias F. Melzig, Lexikon der Arzneipflanzen und Drogen, 2 Bände, Genehmigte Sonderausgabe für den area verlag, 2006, The bark contains 0.065% to 0.25% alkaloids, most of which are DMT and 5-MeO-DMT. The "juice or gum" of the bark seems to have the highest concentrations of alkaloids (up to 8%).
Uses Industrial uses Seeds from V. sebifera are processed to obtain the fats, which are yellow and aromatic. They smell like nutmeg. The fats also become rancid quickly. They are used industrially in the production of fats, candles, and soaps. This virola fat possesses properties similar to cocoa butter and shea butter.
The wood of V. sebifera has a density around .
Homeopathy and traditional uses The smoke of the inner bark of the tree is used by shamans of the indigenous people of Venezuela in cases of fever conditions, or cooked for driving out evil ghosts.
The homeopathic concoction Myristica sebifera (abbreviation: Myris) is derived from the fresh, red juice from the injured bark of the tree. Homeopathic practice uses it for such ailments as abscesses, phlegmon, paronychia, furuncle, anal fissures, infections of the parotid gland, bacterially infected tonsillitis, and others.Homöopathisches Repetorium, Deutsche Homöopathie Union (DHU)Mohinder Singh Jus, Praktische Materia Medica. Arzneimittellehre von A-Z, Homöosana, 2004,
As of date, there is no empirical evidence supporting any medical effectiveness of Myristica sebifera. Any physiological efficacy would be highly implausible from a biochemical standpoint. Edzard Ernst: The truth about homeopathy. (PDF-Datei; 55 kB) In: British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. 65(2), 2008, 163–4, Epub 2007 Sep 13. PMID 17875194
References
Further reading Christian Rätsch: Enzyklopädie der psychoaktiven Pflanzen. AT Verlag, 2007, 8.te Auflage, Karl Hiller, Matthias F. Melzig, Lexikon der Arzneipflanzen und Drogen, 2 Bände, Genehmigte Sonderausgabe für den area verlag, 2006, Markus Wiesenauer, Suzann Kirschner-Brouns: Homöopathie - Das große Handbuch, Gräfe & Unzer Verlag, 2007,
External links
Photos of Virola sebifera Three photos of Talgmuskatnußbaum Virola sebifera Aublet Climate Change and the effects on Virola sebifera