I read somewhere there's no MAOI in VDJ and it has sedative and not hallucinogenic qualities. My interest in it came before I found out it's more of a sedative than a hallucinogen.
Other than that there's this, which is quite a read and too technical for me to understand.
http://www.lycaeum.org/l...ocs/16812.shtml?ID=16812

In 1946, Brasilian microbiologist OSWALDO GONÇALVES DE LIMA reported the continuing shamanic use of ajucá or vinho da jurema among the Pancarurú Indians of Brejo dos Padres near Tacaratú in the valley of the Rio São Francisco in southern Pernambuco. He described the preparation of the potion as a manual, cold, aqueous infusion of pounded root-bark of jurema preta [Mimosa tenuiflora; as M. hostilis], with no additive-plants nor cooking (GONÇALVES DE LIMA 1946). Although thought by SCHULTES to be extinct (SCHULTES & HOFMANN, 1980), we now know that some forms of shamanic ceremony involving vinho da jurema have survived into the 20th century at least among the following indigenous groups in Brasil: Xucurú of Serra de Ararobá in northern Pernambuco (HOHENTHAL 1952); Kariri-Shoko of Colegio near the mouth of the Rio São Francisco which demarcates the Alagoas/Sergipe border (DA MOTA 1987); the Atikum of the Serra do Umã in western Pernambuco (DE AZEVEDo GRONEwALD 1995); the Truká (BATISTA 1995) and numerous other groups scattered sparsely over the immense caatinga of northeastern Brasil (PINTO 1995; TROMBONI 1995). Moreover, in this century, the indigenous jurema ceremony has been adopted symbolically by syncretic Umbandista churches along the Brasilian coast, where jurema preta is not native, centered especially around Alhandra in southern Paraíba (VANDEZANDE 1975).



On the other hand, our only report of contemporary indigenous use of potions prepared from jurema preta root-bark comes from the Atikum of the Serra do Umá region of Pernambuco. Other indigenous groups rather employ one or another type of jurema branca, of which some 10 species have been reported from 4 genera, all but one in the family Leguminosæ: Acacia farnesiana Willd. (VANDEZANDE 1975); A. piauhyensis Benth. (LEMOS DE ARRUDA CAMARGO 1988 ); Mimosa burgonia Aubl. (DE ANDRADE MELLO 1955 [as jurema marginada]) M. pudica L. (PINTO 1995); M. verrucosa Benth. (DA MOTA 1987 [as jurema mansal; LEMOS DE ARRUDA CAMARGO 1988; SANGIRARDI 1983); Pithecellobium acacioides Ducke; P. diversifolium Benth.; P. dumosum Benth.; P. tortum Mart. (BATISTA 1995; DE ANDRADE MELLO 1955; LEMOS DE ARRUDA CAMARGO 1988; SANGIRARDI 1983); and Vitex agnus-castus L. [Verbenaceæl (DA MOTA 1987).



It has been reported that Mimosa verrucosa contains DMT, but there is nothing in the chemical literature to support this assertion, and in fact none of these jurema branca species is known to contain visionary tryptamines, although several other species of Acacia do contain DMT and/or 5-MeO-DMT (OTT 1994,1999), whereas bracatinga or Mimosa scabrella Benth. contains low levels [0.03%] of DMT in stem-bark [root-bark untested]. A common source of fuel-wood in southeastern Brasil, this species is known especially for "honey of bracatinga, used as a digestive stimulant and for circulatory problems" (DE MORAES et al. 1990). For a discussion of phytotoxins [especially psychoactive] in honeys, see my recent review article (OTT 1998a).



The taxonomy of jurema preta was recently systematized; its distribution extending from the vast Brasilian caatinga northward to the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico (BARNEBY 1991). In Mexico the stem-bark is a well-known ethnomedicine, tepescohuite, applied topically for burns and as a vulnerary, but there is no evidence the ancient Mesoamericans exploited the entheogenic virtues of jurema preta (GRETHER 1988 ). Mexican material of tepescohuite stem -bark was shown to contain low levels [0.03%] of DMT, but there are no published analyses of corresponding root-bark, although bioassays suggest it contains at least 1.0% DMT (MECKES-LOZOYA et al. 1990; OTT 1994,1999).



GONÇALVES DE LIMA reported the isolation of 0.51% of an alkaloid he called nigerina from root-bark of Mimosa tenuiflora collected in Arcoverde, Pernambuco, giving the melting-point as 45.8-46.8°C and the empirical formula C 13H9NO (GONÇALVES DE LIMA 1946). Nine years later, 0.98% nigerina was again isolated from Jurema preta root-bark also collected in Arcoverde (DE MELO 1955). In 1959, GONÇALVES DE LIMA supplied jurema preta root-material to researchers at a U.S. pharmaceutical company, who isolated 0.57% DMT [m.p. 48-49°C, C12 H16 N2 (PACHTER et a]. 1959). It is now thought that nigerina was an impure form of DMT, perhaps contaminated with DMT-N-oxide [readily generated from DMT under isolation conditions] and possibly other compounds. Assuming that GONÇALVES DE LIMA's nigerina consisted at least partially of DMT, his would represent the first finding of DMT [originally synthesized in 1931 (MANSKE 1931)] as a natural product, although priority must go to M.S. FISH, who first isolated DMT from Anadenanthera peregrina seeds and pods (FISH et al. 1955).



There are no published analyses of vinho da jurema potions, but a 1983 collaboration between Karolinska Institutet and Universidade Federal do Paraiba in João Pessoa led to two independent analyses of jurema preta potions obtained from an Umbandista juremeira in Alhandra, Paraíba. The first, dated 12 November 1983, was analyzed in Sweden and reported to contain 1-10 mg/mL DMT; while a more precise quantitative analysis in João Pessoa of a potion said to be "identical to the sample taken to Karolinska" but dated 5 December 1983, found 7.46 mg/mL DMT, with the source root-bark containing 11% DMT (HOLMSTEDT 1983; SANCHEZ LEMUS 1984)! The Brasilian group found DMT also in a jurema branca sample from Alhandra, unfortunately unidentified. Thus we have a range of reported DMT concentration in jurema preta root-bark from 1-11% [since PACHTER's group isolated 0.57% DMT, we can assume a total content perhaps twice as high]; as compared to 0.00-0.66% DMT in reported analyses [12 samples] of Psychotria viridis or chacruna leaf, chief source of tryptamines for ayahuasca potions. Even taking the highest DMT level found in chacruna, jurema preta is 1.5-16.5 times richer in DMT! As for the potions, we have no data on amounts of vinho da jurema typically consumed, but 7.46 mg/mL DMT would correspond to 0.45-1.64 g DMT per dose, taking the range of 60-220 mL reported for typical doses of ayahuasca, analysis of which found 25 mg[220 mL]-36 mg[60 mL] DMT/dose, meaning that VINHO DA JUREMA may be 12.5-65 times higher in DMT than ayahuasca (OTT 1994, 1999)! The vinho da jurema potions analyzed were said to be thick residues or concentrates; even allowing for a 10-fold concentration prior to analysis, vinho da jurema remains 1.25-6.5 times higher in DMT than ayahuasca. Inasmuch as the 36 mg[60 mL] DMT in ayahuasca doses was from Pucallpa and Tarapoto, Perú, where the brews are also considerably concentrated, we can assume the vinho da jurema analyzed to be at least 2.5-3.0 times higher in DMT than typical ayahuasca.



GONÇALVES DE LIMA and HOHENTHAL both described the formation of foam atop the potions when the beaten jurema preta root-bark was hand-squeezed in cold water, and analyses of stem-bark of Mexican tepescohuite jurema preta have found several novel triterpenoid saponins which could explain this phenomenon (ANTON et al. 1993; JIANG et al. 1991 a, 1991 b). Novel chalcone compounds called kukulkanins have also been isolated from branches of Mexican tepescohuite (DOMINGUEZ 1989).



Since the ayahuasca effect depends on presence of ß-carboline alkaloids from Banisteriopsis spp. or other plants, which render DMT orally-active by inhibiting MAO, there has been speculation concerning a lost or missing ingredient to vinho da jurema, or regarding purported content of ß-carbolines in jurema preta. However, no ß-carbolines were found by HOLMSTEDT or SANCHEZ LEMUS, nor in recent unpublished analyses of Mexican root-bark of M..tenuiflora (CALLAWAY 1998 ). In the Serra do Umã, where use of jurema preta potions survives, it was noted that juice of maracuja was consumed freely during the jurema ceremony (DE AZEVEDO GRUNEWALD 1995). Since maracuja juice, from Passiflora spp. [Passifloraceae], contains ß-carbolines (LUTOMSKI et al. 1975), it was suggested such might account for oral activity of DMT in the potions. However, the Passiflora spp. contain especially harman [or passiflorinel, which was found not to be effective as a human MAOI in pharmahuasca bioassays (OTT 1994,1999). None of the scanty ethnographic reports support the notion of a lost or missing additive-plant, although they do stress prodigal use of smoked tobacco as adjunct to jurema ingestion. Recently it was found that tobacco-smokers show 40% inhibition of cerebral MAOB (FOWLER et al. 1996), which would seem to be insufficient of itself to render DMT active orally, although it could be a contributing factor. The MAOI effect of smoked tobacco is not understood chemically, but low levels of ß-carbolines are known from tobacco-smoke (JANIGER & DOBKIN DE RIOS 1976).



Whereas a potion prepared from 10 g Mimosa tenuiflora root-bark [3 times extracted in acidified hot water] was inactive as to visionary effects, I recently found psychoptic properties in a potion prepared from 25 g jurema preta root-bark. The potion was prepared by the traditional method, simply squeezing the beaten rootbark in cold water, with no additives [2 times, 125 mL water each time]. The vinho da jurema gave DMT-like effects commencing somewhat sooner [20 min.] and lasting less time [> 2 h.] than is typical for me with ayahuasca or pharmahuasca [ca. 45 min.; lasting 2 h.+] (OTT 1998b). As there exist non-ß-carboline MAOI, there is the possibility some unknown MAOI compound exists in jurema preta. On the other hand, preliminary analyses of Mexican root-bark suggest that, apart from free DMT, jurema preta contains DMT bound or complexed to larger molecules which might protect against deamination by MAO and allow transport to the brain [where free DMT would probably have to be generated by action of another enzyme] (CALLAWAY 1998 ). In any case, it is evident there is no lost or missing ingredient, and vinho da jurema is potently visionary by itself, prepared in the traditional manner, and assuming an adequate dose. The apparent inactivity of simple Atikurn jurema preta potions is thus likely due to insufficient dosage or perhaps a weak strain, and not to the lack of some lost ingredient. The same may hold true for the reported lack of activity of a Kariri-Shoko jurema mansa potion [Mimosa verrucosa]; or perhaps this species contains no bioavailable DMT (DA MOTA 1987). Only further chemical research linked to human psychonautic bioassays wilt resolve the conundrum of the psychoptic pharmacology of vinho da jurema. Meanwhile, jurema preta root-bark is being sold and widely used in Europe and North America as a visionary substrate for contemporary anahuasca potions.