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Jaborandi (Pilocarpus
pennatifolius) is a source of pilocarpine.
It is a native of Brazil. The word 'Jaborandi' is an
Amazonian Indian
word meaning slobber weed because ingestion of the plant
causes
intense salivation. The natives use the plant to induce
sweating.
Jaborandi leaves was first introduced to western medicine
in 1873,
by Symphronio Coutinho, a Brazilian physician.
Initially the plant
was used to treat dry mouth because of its ability to
induce
salivation. The active ingredient of Jaborandi is the
alkaloid
pilocarpine which mimic the action of acetylcholine,
the primary
neurotransmitter of the parasympathetic system. Topical
pilocarpine
was first introduced in 1877 to reduce the intraocular
pressure. It
works by reducing the resistance to aqueous outflow through
stimulation of the iris sphincter and the ciliary muscle.
The resulting
effects are miosis and accommodation spasm with associated
myopia. |
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