ibogaine

American  

[ih-boh-guh-een] / ɪˈboʊ gəˌin /

noun

Pharmacology.

1. an alkaloid, C 20 H 26 N 2 O, obtained from an African shrub, Tabernanthe iboga, having antidepressant and hallucinogenic properties.

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Etymology

Origin of ibogaine

From French ibogaïne (1901), from New Latin iboga the shrub's specific epithet (said to be from an Indigenous language of the Congo) + French -ine -ine ²

Example Sentences

“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are accelerating the research, approval, and responsible access to promising mental health treatments,” Kennedy said, pointing specifically to ibogaine.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

Since opening in 2021, Ambio reports administering ibogaine to more than 3,000 patients, including 1,000 military veterans.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 12, 2025

But scientists who have studied ibogaine have reported startling findings.

From New York Times • Mar. 5, 2024

In 2020, researchers led by David Olson, a chemist at the University of California, Davis, reported in Nature that a nonhallucinogenic analog of the psychedelic compound ibogaine called tabernanthalog showed antidepressive effects in rodents.

From Science Magazine • Jan. 26, 2022

The ibogaine thing was, instead, a classic Homeland cul-de-sac: a plot both ridiculous and needless.

From Slate • Nov. 25, 2013