''Corynanthe johimbe'', synonym ''Pausinystalia johimbe'', common name yohimbe, is a plant species in the family

Rubiaceae The Rubiaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the coffee, madder, or bedstraw family. It consists of terrestrial trees, shrubs, lianas, or herbs that are recognizable by simple, opposite leaves with interpetiolar stipules a ...

native to western and central

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

(

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

, Cabinda,

Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...

Congo-Brazzaville The Republic of the Congo (french: République du Congo, ln, Republíki ya Kongó), also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply either Congo or the Congo, is a country located in the western coast of Central Africa to the w ...

Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the nort ...

, Equatorial Guinea). Extracts from yohimbe have been used in

traditional medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...

in West Africa as an

aphrodisiac An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases sexual desire, sexual attraction, sexual pleasure, or sexual behavior. Substances range from a variety of plants, spices, foods, and synthetic chemicals. Natural aphrodisiacs like cannabis or cocai ...

, called in some languages burantashi, and have been marketed in

developed countries A developed country (or industrialized country, high-income country, more economically developed country (MEDC), advanced country) is a sovereign state that has a high quality of life, developed economy and advanced technological infrastruct ...

as dietary supplements.

Synonyms

Botanical

According to Royal Botanical Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online, the accepted name is ''Corynanthe johimbe'' K.Schum (first published in Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin-Dahlem 3: 94, 1901) and it has the following recognised synonyms: Homotypic: *''Pausinystalia johimbe'' (K.Schum.) Pierre in Actes Soc. Linn. Bordeaux 61: 130 (1906) *''Pseudocinchona johimbe'' (K.Schum.) A.Chev. in : 266 (1926) Heterotypic: *''Pausinystalia trillesii'' Beille in Actes Soc. Linn. Bordeaux 61: 130 (1906) *''Pausinystalia zenkeri'' W.Brandt in Arch. Pharm. (Berlin) 260: 67 (1922).

Scientific (general)

In scientific papers generally (i.e. not just in specialist botanical literature) the usage ''Pausinystalia johimbe'' is the most frequent, followed by ''Pausinystalia yohimbe''.

Description

Yohimbe is one of a number of ''Corynanthe''

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...

species growing in West and Central Africa in lowland forests. The tree grows about 30m tall, with a straight bole that is rarely larger than 50–60 cm in diameter. The bark is grey to reddish-brown, with longitudinal fissures, easy to peel and bitter-tasting. The inner bark is pinkish and fibrous. The sapwood is yellowish and the heartwood is ochre-yellow; the wood is fine-grained and relatively dense and moderately hard. The leaves grow in groups of three, with short (about 2 cm) petioles. The blades are oval-shaped, 11–47 cm long and 5–17 cm wide.R.b. Jiofack Tafokou. Pausinystalia johimbe. pp 516-519 in Timbers Volume 2; Volume 7 of Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Eds. Lemmens, R.H.M.J., Louppe, D. & Oteng-Amoako, A.A., G.J.H Grubben. PROTA Foundation, 2012.

Conservation

The demand for yohimbe bark has led to over-exploitation, with the possibility of long-term threat to sustainability of the species.

is the biggest exporter. Over-exploitation has led to concerns that ''C. johimbe'' is becoming an endangered species.

Uses

The wood and bark are used for firewood and construction. Bark the most commercially important product is used in extractions to make

tincture A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%.Groot Handboek Geneeskrachtige Planten by Geert Verhelst In chemistr ...

s for

and dietary supplements.R.b. Jiofack Tafokou. Pausinystalia johimbe. pp 516-519 in Timbers Volume 2; Volume 7 of Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Eds. Lemmens, R.H.M.J., Louppe, D. & Oteng-Amoako, A.A., G.J.H Grubben. PROTA Foundation, 2012. The main phytochemical in the extract is the indoloquinolizidine

alkaloid Alkaloids are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Some synthetic compounds of similar ...

yohimbine Yohimbine (), also known as quebrachine, is an indole alkaloid derived from the bark of the African tree '' Pausinystalia johimbe''; also from the bark of the unrelated South American tree ''Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco''. Yohimbine is an α2 ...

. It also contains other alkaloids, such as

corynanthine Corynanthine, also known as rauhimbine, is an alkaloid found in the ''Rauvolfia'' and ''Corynanthe'' (including ''Pausinystalia'') genera of plants. It is one of the two diastereoisomers of yohimbine, the other being rauwolscine. It is also rel ...

and

raubasine Ajmalicine, also known as δ-yohimbine or raubasine, is an antihypertensive drug used in the treatment of high blood pressure. It has been marketed under numerous brand names including Card-Lamuran, Circolene, Cristanyl, Duxil, Duxor, Hydroxysarp ...

, with undefined properties, adding further to concerns about its safety.

Human use and adverse effects

Extracts from yohimbe bark are used in

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, M ...

n traditional medicine in the belief that it is a

herbal tonic In herbal medicine, an herbal tonic (also tonic herbs, tonic herbalism) is used to help restore, tone and invigorate systems in the body or to promote general health and well-being. An herbal tonic is a solution or other preparation made from a ...

and

. Yohimbe bark and extract are used in manufactured dietary supplements, but there is no scientific evidence they have any effect, and yohimbine levels may vary substantially among supplement products. Although proposed as a potential treatment for erectile dysfunction in humans, there are concerns about its safety or effectiveness.

Side effects In medicine, a side effect is an effect, whether therapeutic or adverse, that is secondary to the one intended; although the term is predominantly employed to describe adverse effects, it can also apply to beneficial, but unintended, consequence ...

of using yohimbe, particularly in high doses, may include hypertension, increased heart rate, headache,

nausea Nausea is a diffuse sensation of unease and discomfort, sometimes perceived as an urge to vomit. While not painful, it can be a debilitating symptom if prolonged and has been described as placing discomfort on the chest, abdomen, or back of the ...

, tremors, and

insomnia Insomnia, also known as sleeplessness, is a sleep disorder in which people have trouble sleeping. They may have difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep as long as desired. Insomnia is typically followed by daytime sleepiness, low energy, ...

. Yohimbe bark extract has been declared as insufficiently characterized and possibly unsafe to consume by the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...

and US

National Institutes of Health The National Institutes of Health, commonly referred to as NIH (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in the late ...

. Yohimbine specifically has so been declared by the European Union, but not by the US National Institutes of Health.

Toxicity

Ogwo et al found that the median lethal dose of yohimbe powdered bark was 1075 mg/kg in mice. (Their paper notes that the material is called burantashi in Nigeria.), pp= 16, 18.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q39810156, from2=Q1931818 Naucleeae Flora of Nigeria Flora of West-Central Tropical Africa Plants described in 1901 Medicinal plants of Africa