Voacanga
VOACANGA
Voacanga Africana is a small tree native to tropical Africa belonging to the Apocynaceae family, which can grow up to 6 m tall and has leaves up to 30 cm long. The Voacanga Africana tree grows straight and sturdy, usually reaching a height of 3 to 4 metres, and has pale brown bark.
The leaves of the voacanga, about 30 cm long, are shiny, opposite and ovoid, with short or absent petioles. The flowers of the African voacanga are white or yellow, usually begin to bloom between February and April, give off a strong aroma and the fruit contains numerous brown ellipsoidal seeds.
The root of the African voacanga tree is upright and branched. Voacanga fruit tends to appear during the summer months between June and September, depending on the country.
What is the advantage of Voacanga Africana?
Although small amounts of ibogaine are found in the root bark of Voacanga Africana, they are not present in sufficient quantities to have medicinal or psychoactive effects. Extracts from the plant are also used in the production of vinpocetine, a drug used to treat Alzheimer’s disease, and vinblastine, used to treat leukaemia. The Voacanga Africana plant is used in the treatment of diseases such as gonorrhoea, eczema, fungal infections, scabies, malaria, diarrhoea, heartache, etc.
The seeds of the Voacanga Africana plant are very rich in fats and oils. The oils extracted from the seeds are highly nutritious and are used in the cosmetics industries around the world. Voacanga Africana currently has industrial and medicinal applications. West African shamans used the bark of the African voacanga tree as a brain stimulant, the roots of the voacanga tree were used as a stimulant during long hunts, while the seeds were used for visionary purposes.