Is voluntary envenomation from the kambô ritual therapeutic or toxic?

Report of envenomation in humans by handling a dyeing poison frog Dendrobates tinctorius (SCHNEIDER, 1799) (Anura: Dendrobatidae) in the Amazon, Brazil

“…Accidents involving amphibians in Brazil are not listed by the Brazilian Ministry of Health in its list of human intoxications 10 . Uncommon, medically relevant accidents involving humans and anurans occur with field workers or due to the increasing use of frog's toxins by inexperienced practitioners in rituals, such as "kambô" 11,12 .…”

The Amazonian kambô frog Phyllomedusa bicolor (Amphibia: Phyllomedusidae): Current knowledge on biology, phylogeography, toxinology, ethnopharmacology and medical aspects

“…Other delayed effects are hallucination, drowsiness, dizziness, euphoria, and sedation ( Erspamer et al, 1989 ; Erspamer et al, 1993 ). These effects are mediated by the actions of peptides present in the skin secretion such as phyllokinin, adrenoregulin, sauvagine, phyllocerulin, phyllomedusin, dermorphins, and deltorphins ( Li et al, 2018 ; Byard, 2019 ). Some researchers have attempted to understand the full effect of the crude secretion, but with few and uncertain results ( Thompson et al, 2022 ; Thompson and Williams, 2022 ).…”

Kambo: Natural drug or potential toxic agent? A literature review of acute poisoning cases

“…Kambo is a substance derived from the natural secretions of a frog ( Phyllomedusa bicolor ) typically found in regions of South America, such as the Amazon and Brazil [8] . In these geographical areas, Kambo is used for recreational and purifying purposes during sessions characterized by a strong spiritual component [9] . The substance is generally administered transdermally with a hot stick during the rite by a shaman, generating small circular burns on the skin.…”

“…Antimicrobial properties of dermaseptins, a group of polycationic peptides produced from skin glands of Phyllomedusa bicolor have been widely proved [14] . Byard reported that various Web sites encourage the use of Kambo in contexts of alternative and integrative medicine for prevention and treatment of neurological diseases (Alzheimer, Parkinson, meningitis, stroke) but also for chronic fatigue syndrome, hepatitis and diabetes [9] . In this sense, Kambo is known as “toad vaccine” for its likely potential in preventing diseases.…”