Using Alkaloids in Clinical Practice by Chanchal Cabrera

Description

12 Hour Online Practitioner Series

Always respected and often feared, the alkaloids are among the most pharmacologically active plant constituents. Many poisonous or hallucinogenic herbs are rich in active alkaloids and most of our schedule III herbs contain active alkaloids e.g. Atropa, Aconitum, Gelsemium. They are powerful, effective and very effective medicines and also sometimes scary to use.

This wide ranging review of materia medica will explore a great diversity of medicinal and psychoactive herbs, united in their chemistry and potential toxicities, but very varied in their clinical effects. These herbs are the ‘effectors’ in a formula, targeted to specific actions and outcomes, they require carefully calibrated dosing schedules and understanding of side effects, contra-indications and drug interactions. Through a deep discussion of the pharmacology, dosing and toxicology, ritual uses and ethnobotanical uses, we will learn how to use strong herbs respectfully, safely and effectively.

This is a practical and informative series, using examples and applications drawn from over 28 years of practice. It is geared towards practitioners and advanced students and is intended to give you tools for your clinical practice.

Meet Your Instructor:

Chanchal Cabrera MSc, FNIMH, RHT, (RH)AHG

Chanchal is an experienced and respected Herbalist. She has a Msc in Herbal Medicine from University of Wales, as well as holding qualifications in botanical garden management, horticulture and education. She lecturers widely at many CPD herbal medicine events, and holds professional memberships with a number of herbal medicine associations. Chanchal lives on Vancouver Island, British Columbia where she and her husband manage Innisfree Farm and Botanic Garden, a 7 acre internationally registered botanic garden specializing in food and medicine plants, and where they host apprenticeships in sustainable food production and herbal medicine.

The Alkaloids Materia Medica

Chanchal will cover a materia medica of over 19 alkaloids and 50 plants including:

Methylxanthines

• Coffea arabica
• Camellia sinensis
• Ilex paraguariensis
• Paullina cupana
• Pausinistyllia yohimbine
• Cola acuminata / nitida / vera
• Theobroma cacao

Triterpenoid alkaloids

• Aconitum napellus
• Delphinium
• Nymphea odorata

Steroidal alkaloids

• Potatoes
• Solanum dulcamara
• Veratrum viride

Phenethylamine alkaloids

• Catha edulis
• Ephedra sinica
• Lopophera lewinii

Pyrrolidine alkaloids

• Atropa belladonna
• Datura stramonium
• Hyoscyamus niger

Pyridine and piperidine alkaloids

• Lobelia inflata
• Nicotinia tobaccum
• Piper betel
• Piper methysticum
• Piper nigrum
• Areca catechu

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids

• Borago off.
• Eupatorium purpureum
• Eupatorium perfoliatum
• Petasites sp.
• Symphytum off.
• Tussilago farfara

Quinolizidine alklaloids

• Cytisus scoparius
• Huperzia serrata

Indole alkaloids

• amines and carbolines
• Agaricus blazei
• Banisteropsis caapi
• Passiflora incarnata
• Virola viride

Indolines

• Calabar bean    
• Psychotria viridis
• Psilocybe

Ergolines

• Convolvulus sp.
• Claviceps purpura

Monoterpenoid indoles

• Catharanthus rubra
• Gelsemium sempervirens
• Tabernanthe iboga
• Strychnos nux vomica
• Vinca sp.
• Pausinystila yohimbe
• Aspidosperma quebracho blanco

Quinoline alkaloids

• Cinchona officinalis and sp.

Isoquinoline alkaloids

• Lopophera lewinii
• Chelidonium majus
• Fumaria officinalis

Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids

• Papaver somniferum

Protopines

• Eschscholzia calfornica
• Sanguinarea canadensis

Protoberberbines

• Berberis vulgaris
• Corydalis ambigua and sp.
• Hydrastis canadensis
• Mahonia aquifolium

Phenethylisoquinolines

• Colchicum autumnale