Phyllomedusa bicolor skin secretion and the Kambô ritual

Abstract

The ritual of Kambô or Sapo is a type of voluntary envenomation. During this purification ritual a shaman healer, from various South American countries, deliberately burns the right shoulder with a glowing stick from a fireplace. Excretions of Phyllomedusa bicolor (or Giant Leaf Frog, Kambô or Sapo) are then applied to these fresh wounds. This ritual is used as a means of purification of the body, supposedly brings luck to hunters, increases stamina and enhances physical and sexual strength. All the peripheral and most of the central effects of the secretion can be ascribed to the exceptionally high content of active peptides, easily absorbed through burned skin. This article describes the ritual and the bio-active peptides from the secretion.

Psychedelic Fauna for Psychonaut Hunters: A Mini-Review

“…B. Alvarius contains the enzyme O-methyl-transferase, which converts bufotenin (5-OH-DMT) to the potent hallucinogen 5-methoxydimethyl-tryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) ( 36 ). The skin contains some indolealkylamines and their metabolites belonging to the common series of 5-hydroxy-indolealkylamines (e.g., bufotenin) and to the less common series of 5-methoxyindolealkylamines (e.g., O-methyl-bufotenin) ( 37 , 56 , 57 ). In addition, its skin contains also sulfur-containing indolealkylamines (e.g., bufoviridine).…”

“…Another specie is Phillomedusa bicolor , which is a large green nocturnal frog that lives in the trees of the Peruvian and Brazilian Amazon. Adult frogs secrete a material which is used by the native Mayoruna Indians as a hunting aid ( 37 ). Skin secretions are rich in vasoactive, opioid peptides and a peptide called “adenoregulin” ( 58 ).…”

Kambô: A Shamanistic Ritual Arriving in the West - Description, Risks and Perception by the Users

“…The first paper from den Brave, et al was based only on the observation of some scars on the shoulder of a patient and was a letter to the editor [25].…”

Is voluntary envenomation from the kambô ritual therapeutic or toxic?

“…The secretions, which are referred to by local people as Btoad vaccine^, cause a brief but intense period of nausea, abdominal pain, a burning sensation, vomiting, incontinence, dizziness, tachycardia, euphoria and sedation mediated through the actions of peptides such as phyllokinin, adrenoregulin, sauvagine, phyllocerulin, phyllomedusin, dermorphins and deltorphins [12,14,15]. These peptides are present in high concentrations in the frog secretions and are absorbed rapidly through the damaged skin resulting in neuroexcitation, vascular smooth muscle relaxation and opiate-like actions [15]. The effects last for approximately 15 min [10].…”