Exploring Colombian medicinal flora used in indigenous and campesino health systems for neuropsychiatric disorders and neuropharmacological potential: an ethnopharmacological review

TL;DR

This review explores 42 Colombian plant species used in Indigenous and rural health systems for mental and neurological conditions, highlighting their potential for neuropharmacological research.

Contribution

The study identifies six priority plant species for further research based on traditional use and preliminary pharmacological evidence.

Findings

Ayahuasca, Nicotiana tabacum, and Erythroxylum coca are the most commonly cited species in traditional practices.

Fourteen species have demonstrated neuropharmacological activity in preclinical studies, but only seven have been tested clinically.

Six species, including Iochroma fuchsioides and Brunfelsia grandiflora, are highlighted for further investigation due to recurring traditional and pharmacological relevance.

Abstract

Neuropsychiatric disorders affect nearly one billion people worldwide, yet many existing psychopharmacological treatments are limited by adverse effects, drug interactions, and variable efficacy. Ethnopharmacological knowledge embedded in Indigenous health systems offers important perspectives for understanding mental and neurological distress and for informing future research on central nervous system (CNS)–active plants. Colombia, one of the world’s most biodiverse countries, harbors a rich medicinal flora that is deeply embedded in Indigenous and rural cultural practices. This review synthesizes published ethnobotanical, phytochemical, and neuropharmacological literature on 42 Colombian plant species reported in Indigenous and local health systems to address conditions that may overlap with what biomedicine classifies as mental and neurological disorders. Within this review, traditional uses were analytically grouped into biomedical categories for comparative purposes, including psychoactive, stimulant, sedative, anxiolytic, and cognitive effects, while recognizing that these categories do not fully capture Indigenous epistemologies. Ayahuasca (locally called yagé) was the most frequently reported preparation, and Nicotiana tabacum, Erythroxylum coca, and Aloysia citrodora were the most commonly cited species. Leaves (38%), stems (14%), and roots (13%) were the most frequently used plant parts, most often prepared as decoctions (21%) and infusions (17%). Across the reviewed taxa, five lack phytochemical characterization, fourteen have demonstrated neuropharmacological activity in preclinical studies, and only seven have been examined in clinical contexts, underscoring substantial evidence gaps. Six species—Iochroma fuchsioides, Brunfelsia grandiflora, Souroubea corallina, Tabernaemontana heterophylla, Psidium guajava, and Dianthera pectoralis—emerged as recurrently cited across ethnobotanical and pharmacological sources, warranting further investigation. Overall, this review highlights both the potential and the limitations of existing evidence on Colombian plants, emphasizing the need for ethically grounded, collaborative research that respects Indigenous knowledge systems while advancing neuropharmacological understanding, cultural preservation, and biodiversity conservation.

Infographic summarizes research on Colombian medicinal flora for neuropsychiatric disorders, grouping information into traditional knowledge, phytochemistry, neuropharmacology, and clinical potential. Forty-two plant species were identified from various Colombian communities; thirty-seven were phytochemically characterized, highlighting alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and phenolics. Neuropharmacological mechanisms include serotonergic, GABAergic, MAO-A, AChE inhibition, and muscarinic receptors, with fourteen species validated for clinical activity. Six priority species for research are visually illustrated with (pre)clinical focus areas such as schizophrenia, CNS activity, anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, and neuroprotective effects, and four species with (pre)clinical studies are noted.

Figures