Indigenous-Amazonian Traditional Medicine’s Usage of the Tobacco Plant: A Transdisciplinary Ethnopsychological Mixed-Methods Case Study

Abstract

Harmful usage of tobacco is a global public health problem associated with adverse health effects and addiction. Yet, in the Peruvian Amazon, the native region of Nicotiana rustica L., this plant is used in remarkably different manners: it is considered a potent medicinal plant, applied in liquid form for oral ingestion to treat mental health problems, a common and ancient healing practice in this region. Using a transdisciplinary field research approach with mixed ethnopsychological methods, this work aimed to report for the first time a case study in this context. The intervention took place in the Peruvian Amazon (Loreto) and involved ritual tobacco ingestion in a weeklong retreat-like frame, administered by a specialized traditional Amazonian healer. The patient was a 37-year-old woman with diagnosed mood, anxiety, and attention deficit disorders, as well as a chronic somatic condition. We applied qualitative experience-sampling during and quantitative symptom assessments pre- and post-treatment. Our findings offer a detailed description of the experiential therapeutic process during the treatment week and suggest clinically relevant improvements in patient well-being. This work is significant in view of the globally prevalent harmful uses of tobacco and the current scientific trend of revisiting herbal psychoactives (e.g., cannabis, psilocybin) for their therapeutic potentials.

A medicina tradicional Amazônica: uma revisão sistemática da literatura

“…Outros estudos tratam do efeito terapêutico das plantas medicinais a partir do etnoconhecimento para as mais diversas condições de saúde, como ansiedade e depressão, edema, dor de cabeça, Parkinson, tratamento de distúrbios alimentares, miíase, déficits cognitivos em epilepsia e demência, doenças do sistema nervoso e disfunção sexual (Berlowitz et al, 2023;Almeida Junior et al, 2021;Albino et al, 2021;Katchborian-Neto et al, 2020;Renelli et al, 2020;Luzuriaga-Quichimbo, 2020;McKenna et al, 2011;Siqueira et al, 2007;Batista et al, 2023).…”

Characterization of Waste Nicotiana rustica L. (Tobacco) Fiber Having a Potential in Textile and Composite Applications

“…Nicotiana rustica L. (tobacco) is a tall and leafy plant growing annually and is a member of the Solanaceae family, which are aromatic and industrial plants. Cigarettes, pipes, hookahs, cigars, snuff, chewing tobacco, and cigarettes were among the forms of tobacco consumed in Europe after it was first used as a medicine [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Tobacco is one of the agricultural products that can adapt to various geographical conditions to the fastest and most reasonable extent [ 4 ].…”