The Amazon is a tropical forest ecosystem area consisting of rivers, as well as wild and rare plants. No wonder the Amazon is an interesting place for exploration or just visiting as a tourist. In addition to enjoying the natural wealth, it turns out that the tourists who visit this tropical forest have another desire, namely to enjoy forest wine formulated by a local shaman. Its name is Ayahuasca. Many are wondering whether is ayahuasca in the us and what exactly it is. It is a drink taken from a sacred plant. Locals call it the ‘wine of the soul’, Ayahuasca is a combination drink of two plants namely Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis vines.
Banisteriopsis caapi is a tropical vine that contains alkaloids, causing hallucinogenic and disorienting effects for the audience. This magic potion affects human consciousness for hours after consumption. And will be fatal if combined with antidepressant drugs. This can be dangerous for those with a cardiovascular history. In Peru, Ayahuasca is used in religious sacramental ceremonies. In the United States, this vine is legal. However, the drink, or variations extracted from the grapes, are all illegal.
Psychedelic drugs are predicted to have the ability to be antidepressant drugs. One of the more famous is the ayahuasca plant which can be found in the Amazon rainforest. To prove its efficacy, a team of researchers from Brazil led by Stevens Rehen, Professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and Head of Research at the D’Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), made a mini-brain in the laboratory. They wanted to know more about the effects of Ayahuasca’s father on the human brain.
The artificial brain or organoid was grown for 45 days and divided into several groups. The researchers then looked at differences in the amount of protein to determine the effect of ayahuasca. In the ayahuasca-soaked organoids, more proteins associated with basic memory processes arise. However, this means that the results of the study cannot simply be applied to the adult human brain. However, this method is not completely useless. Stachowiak said the organoids could be applied to other research, particularly diseases that affect the brain in the early stages of development, such as schizophrenia, Zika, and autism.