Morning glory

Other Names

AsagaoBadoh negroBadolngásBadungásBaichouBejucilloBindweed family vineBlue morning gloryCoatlxoxouhquiCommon morning gloryConvolvulaceae morning gloryConvolvulus hederaceus L.Convolvulus purpureusConvolvulus purpureus (L.) RothConvolvulus rubrocaeruleusConvolvulus rubrocaeruleus (Hook.) D.Dietr.Convolvulus venustusConvolvulus venustus Spreng.GrannyvineHeavenly blue morning gloryHeichouIpomoea hirsutulaIpomoea hirsutula (L.) RothIpomoea hookeriIpomoea hookeri G.DonIpomoea nilIpomoea nil (L.) RothIpomoea purpureaIpomoea purpurea (L.) RothIpomoea rubrocaeruleaIpomoea rubrocaerulea Hook.Ipomoea schiedeanaIpomoea schiedeana Ham.Ipomoea tricolorIpomoea tricolor Cav.Ipomoea violaceaIpomoea violacea LunanIvy morning gloryIvy-leaf morning gloryJapanese morning gloryLa'aja shnashMa:sung pahkMantos de cieloMehen tu'xikinMexican morning gloryMichdohMulticolored morning gloryPharbitidis SemenPharbitis nilPharbitis nil (L.) ChoisyPharbitis purpureaPharbitis purpurea (L.) RothPharbitis rubrocaeruleaPharbitis rubrocaerulea (Hook.) Planch.Pharbitis tricolorPharbitis tricolor (Cav.) Chitt.Picotee morning gloryPih pu'ucte:shPiuleQuamoclit mutica ChoisyQuiebraplatoTall morning gloryTlilitzinTlitliltzin

Synopsis

Morning Glory (Ipomoea spp.): A Comprehensive Encyclopedic Reference

1. Identity and Botanical Classification

1.1 Taxonomy and Nomenclature

"Morning glory" is the common name for over 1,000 species of flowering plants in the family Convolvulaceae, whose taxonomy and systematics remain in flux. The genus Ipomoea is the largest genus in the plant family Convolvulaceae, with over 600 species. The genus Ipomoea L. was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753.

The name Ipomoea derives from the Greek Ips, meaning "a worm," and homoios, meaning "like," thus Ipomoea means "like a worm," referring to the twining habit of the plant's growth. The common name "morning glory" derives from the plant's tendency to bloom in the early hours of the day, opening its flowers in the morning sunshine and closing them in the early evening.

The term "morning glory" as used medicinally and ethnobotanically encompasses several well-studied species. The most prominent include:

Ipomoea tricolor Cav. (Mexican morning glory, Heavenly Blue) — also commonly known simply as "morning glory," this is the archetypical species for the group and is renowned for its many beautiful varieties, such as 'Heavenly Blue,' 'Flying Saucers,' and 'Pearly Gates.'
Ipomoea nil (L.) Roth (syn. Pharbitis nil) — Ipomoea nil, a species of morning glory, was first known in China for its medicinal uses, due to the laxative properties of its seeds.
Ipomoea purpurea (L.) Roth (Tall morning glory) — Pharbitidis Semen, the seeds of Ipomoea nil (L.) Roth and Ipomoea purpurea (L.) Roth, constitutes a traditional Chinese medicine with laxative effects.
Ipomoea purga (Wender.) Hayne (Jalap) — the source of the classic purgative resin known as jalap.
Ipomoea pes-caprae (L.) R. Br. (Beach morning glory, railroad vine) — a widely distributed halophytic plant belonging to the family Convolvulaceae. This species trails and colonizes sand dunes along tropical and subtropical coastal beaches, and occurs across coastal strands of tropical North and South America, Asia, East- and West-Central Africa, and Australia. It is commonly called beach morning glory, bay hops, or railroad vine.
Ipomoea hederacea Jacq. (Ivy-leaf morning glory, Kaladana) — known in the flora of Pakistan not only for its medicinal and therapeutic attributes, but frequently grown in gardens for its ornamental flowers and often runs wild in hedges and wastelands.
Turbina corymbosa (L.) Raf. (syn. Rivea corymbosa) — closely related to Ipomoea, historically used as an entheogen in Mesoamerica.

1.2 Morphological Description

The genus occurs throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world and comprises annual and perennial herbaceous plants, lianas, shrubs, and small trees; most of the species are twining climbing plants. The leaves are typically simple, heart-shaped, and alternate along the stem. The flowers are radially symmetrical and funnel-shaped, featuring five fused petals that create the characteristic trumpet form. Most species of Ipomoea are vines, a small group of Neotropical species are small trees, but most have characteristic funnel-shaped flowers that open in early morning and last a single day.

1.3 Common Preparations and Forms

Morning glory is encountered in several distinct forms depending on the purpose of use:

Dried seeds (Pharbitidis Semen / Qian Niu Zi): The original plants of Pharbitidis Semen, widely distributed in China, are cut in the autumn when the fruits are ripe. The seeds are gathered and then dried in the sun, externally turning greyish-black (Heichou) or yellowish-white (Baichou). Stir-fried products are commonly used clinically due to the weakening of side effects, including diarrhea and vomiting.
Root resin (Jalap): Mexican jalap roots, a pre-Hispanic medicinal plant complex still considered to be a useful laxative, can be found as an ingredient in some over-the-counter products sold by herbalists in contemporary Mexico. The drug is prepared from the dried roots of several morning glories, all identified as members of the genus Ipomoea.
Aqueous seed infusions (entheogenic use): Aztec priests (teopixqui) consumed morning glory seeds during religious ceremonies. They would drink a cold water infusion of morning glory seeds to gain the ability to commune with deities and receive prophetic visions.
Pharmacopoeial preparations (India): I. hederacea seeds and the resin extracted from them are used as medicines. The seeds have cathartic properties like those of jalap. Besides the resin, an extract, a tincture, and a compound powder have been introduced into the Pharmacopoeia of India. The resin has been introduced into medical practice in India under the name of "Pharbitisin."
Topical preparations: Ipomoea pes-caprae has a wide medicinal use in the treatment of inflammatory disorders, skin wounds, stings, and painful rheumatic processes. Topical gels and poultices have been prepared from leaf extracts.

2. Traditional and Historical Use

2.1 Mesoamerican Indigenous Traditions

Morning glory seeds have a history of entheogenic use in Mesoamerica dating back at least hundreds of years. Morning glory seeds have been used since ancient times for their entheogenic and medicinal properties, particularly among the indigenous peoples of Mexico. Similar to the ritualistic use of peyote cactus and psilocybin mushrooms, the Aztecs would consume morning glory seeds in religious ceremonies to commune with their gods and in shamanic healing practices to diagnose and heal various afflictions.

The Aztecs referred to the seeds of Ipomoea tricolor as tlitliltzin, the Nahuatl word for "black," and the seeds of Turbina corymbosa as ololiuqui, a Nahuatl word meaning "round thing." In Oaxaca, Mexico, the ethnobotanist Richard Evan Schultes documented the ritualistic use of morning glory seeds by Zapotec shamans in 1941.

Aztec use of ololiuqui involved grinding and brewing the seeds to enter altered states for divination and spiritual communion. Described in the Florentine Codex as causing fear, madness, and horrifying visions, the seeds were also applied topically as an anesthetic when mixed with tobacco.

The seeds of both Ipomoea tricolor and Rivea corymbosa, another species with a similar chemical profile, are used in some Zapotec towns to this day, representing one of the oldest continuously surviving entheogenic traditions.

2.2 Traditional Chinese Medicine

Pharbitidis Semen (the seeds of Ipomoea nil or Ipomoea purpurea), a popular traditional Chinese medicine, is also known as "Heichou" or "Baichou" (Chinese: 黑丑, 白丑). It can purge the bowels, promote diuresis, remove stagnated accumulation, and kill worms. It can be used for treating anasarca with constipation and oliguria; dyspnea and cough caused by retained fluid; abdominal pain because of intestinal parasitosis; ascariasis; and taeniasis.

In traditional Chinese medicine, morning glory was and still is widely used for treating constipation, obesity, phlegm, edema, ascites, hydroncus, lung fever, and ardent fever. Its traditional effect is to remove water retention by purgation.

An Unani (Greco-Islamic medicine) application also exists: I. nil, according to eminent Unani scholars, could be used as a purgative agent to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease by removing deranged material from brain tissue.

2.3 Traditional Use in India and South Asia

In India, various parts of many morning glory species have had a long history of medicinal use primarily for their anti-inflammatory and purgative properties. Morning glory has also been applied for conditions such as rheumatism, nervous system disorders, bronchitis, fever, dysentery, constipation, dyspepsia, poisonings, skin diseases, scabies, splenopathy, and many others.

Ipomoea hederacea is known locally in Pakistan as Habbun-nil (due to the blue color of its corolla, since nil is used for blue color) and Kaladana (due to the black color of the seeds, where kala means black and dana means seed).

2.4 Traditional Use by Indigenous Peoples of Coastal and Tropical Regions

Traditionally, I. pes-caprae has been used for many medicinal purposes. For example, Australian Aborigines apply the heated leaves to wounds, skin infections, and inflamed sores, as well as to stings from poisonous fishes, manta rays, and insects. In some parts of India, it is used in ritual baths to alleviate evil spirits.

2.5 Mexican Jalap — Pre-Hispanic and Post-Colonial Purgative Tradition

The Convolvulaceae or morning glory family, with about 2,000 species in the world's tropics and subtropics, stands out among the plants used in traditional medicine. Medicinal plant complexes with important purgative properties have been developed in Mexico and Brazil from members of the genera Ipomoea and Operculina with storage roots. Popularly known as the jalap roots, their resin glycosides cause purgative and laxative activities that facilitate bowel movements.

Morning glories are fast-growing, twining plants often grown as perennial plants in frost-free areas and annual plants in colder climates, valued for their attractive flowers and shade-providing vines, with a long history of cultivation and selective breeding, especially in Japan since the 8th century.

3. Key Constituents and Active Compounds

3.1 Ergoline Alkaloids (Seeds)

Ergot (ergoline) alkaloids are present in some plants from the Convolvulaceae family because of their symbiosis with Claviceps fungi. Endophytic and epibiotic fungi producing alkaloids associated with a few Ipomoea species have been described.

The most important ergoline derivative in Convolvulaceae is ergine (D-lysergic acid amide, LSA), together with its epimer isoergine (iso-LSA), which has psychoactive effects similar to D-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), but with more severe autonomic side effects. In addition to ergine, morning glory seeds contain other ergolines such as lysergic acid hydroxyethylamide (LSH), lysergic acid propanolamide (ergonovine), and isoergine. Some of these compounds are pharmacologically active and are thought to contribute to the effects of the seeds as well.

Evidence has shown that ergot alkaloids present in Central American Convolvulaceae like Turbina corymbosa, Ipomoea violacea, and Ipomoea asarifolia are colonized by different species of a newly described clavicipitaceous fungal genus named Periglandula. The fungi are associated with peltate glandular trichomes on the adaxial leaf surface of its host plants. The Periglandula fungi are not yet culturable in vitro but were demonstrated to have the capacity to synthesize ergot alkaloids.

The principal alkaloids identified across wild-type morning glory species include: chanoclavine, elymoclavine, penniclavine, agroclavine, ergonovine, ergonovinine, ergosine, and ergosinine. The horticultural cultivar I. tricolor 'Heavenly Blue' contained 0.052% total alkaloids in the seed; thus, negligible psychotomimetic hazard exists from the levels of alkaloids found in wild-type morning glory seeds.

3.2 Resin Glycosides (Roots and Seeds)

The genus Ipomoea has afforded glycoresins which are usually composed of a few sugars and one or more long chain fatty acid(s). Resin glycoside is a kind of novel and complex glycolipid mainly distributed in plants of the family Convolvulaceae. Over the last decade, a number of natural resin glycosides and derivatives have been isolated and identified, exhibiting a broad spectrum of biological activities, such as cytotoxic, multidrug-resistant reversal on both microbial pathogens and mammalian cancer cells, antivirus, anticonvulsant, antidepressant, sedative, vasorelaxant, laxative, and α-glucosidase inhibitory effects.

Modern research suggests that Ipomoea nil seeds contain several chemical components such as terpenoids, resin glycosides, phenolic acids, fatty acids, alkaloids, and volatile oils. In the roots of jalap (I. purga), the resin of strong purgative effect is known as jalapa and consists of two fractions, one insoluble in ether called convolvulin and another soluble fraction called jalapin.

According to pharmacology studies, resin glycosides exhibit various pharmacological properties such as cytotoxic, antibacterial, multidrug resistance (MDR) reversal, and ionophoretic activities. Moreover, as novel P-glycoprotein inhibitors, resin glycosides have obtained much more attention because of their intriguing structures and varied activities.

3.3 Phenolic Compounds and Flavonoids

Glycosides such as flavone glycosides comprise a dominant portion of I. aquatica phytochemical composition followed by phenolic acids. Extracted glycosides from I. aquatica have been evidenced to prevent some serious clinical conditions. Polyphenol glycosides reported include herbacetin 3,8-diglucoside, myricetin 7-rhamnoside, hesperetin 7-O-glucuronide, ferulic acid 4-O-glucuronide, and kaempferol 3-(2″,3″-diacetyl-4″-p-coumaroylrhamnoside).

In I. pes-caprae, the key phenolic compound responsible for much of its anti-inflammatory activity is 3,5-Di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (ISA). The crude extract of Ipomoea pes-caprae showed an inhibitory effect on prostaglandin synthesis in vitro. Bioassay-guided separation led to the isolation of four active compounds: 2-hydroxy-4,4,7-trimethyl-1(4H)-naphthalenone, (−)-mellein, eugenol, and 4-vinyl-guaiacol. Among the isolated compounds, eugenol and 4-vinyl-guaiacol were the most active with IC50 values of 9.2 and 18 μM, respectively. The influence of these compounds on the formation of prostaglandins may partly explain a previously observed anti-inflammatory effect of the extract.

Phytochemical analysis of I. pes-caprae has revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, terpenoids, tannins, and saponins in the extracts, indicating their rich bioactive profile.

3.4 Other Constituents

Metabolite analysis of I. aquatica utilizing GC-MS revealed the presence of various fatty acids, amino acids, sugars, and organic acids. The analysis also revealed the presence of essential unsaturated fatty acids such as α-linolenic acid as well as beneficial substances such as squalene.

In traditional Chinese medicine, Pharbitidis Semen (Qian Niu Zi) is classified as toxic (有毒) in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The primary toxic components are the resin glycosides (pharbitin), which are also the main active purgative constituents.

4. Mechanisms of Action

4.1 Ergoline Alkaloids: Psychedelic and Serotonergic Mechanisms

Ergine interacts with serotonin, dopamine, and adrenergic receptors similarly to but with lower affinity than LSD. It is known to act as an agonist of the serotonin 5-HT2A and 5-HT2B receptors similarly to LSD, albeit much less potently and with reduced activational efficacy. The drug has about 4.3% of the antiserotonergic activity of LSD in the isolated rat uterus in vitro. The psychedelic effects of ergine can be attributed to activation of serotonin 5-HT2A receptors.

4.2 Resin Glycosides: Laxative and Purgative Mechanisms

Ipomoea nil extracts may affect the ion transport of rat intestinal epithelia, leading to water movement. The jalap roots, through their resin glycosides, cause purgative and laxative activities that facilitate bowel movements; resin glycosides are responsible for the purgative and laxative actions.

4.3 Anti-Inflammatory Mechanisms

The crude extract of Ipomoea pes-caprae showed an inhibitory effect on prostaglandin synthesis in vitro. Results from further studies suggest that the extract of I. pes-caprae consists of several active compounds which interfere with the process of inflammation in different ways. In carrageenan-paw edema models, animals pre-treated with the semisolid containing I. pes-caprae extract or with intraplantar injection of the major component (3,5-Di-O-caffeoylquinic acid) had the mechanical hypersensitivity significantly reduced. Significant inhibition was also observed in paw edema induced by trypsin, histamine and bradykinin.

4.4 Glycemic Control: Enzyme Inhibition

The evaluation of glycemic control activity was carried out by examining the inhibitory potential of α-amylase and α-glucosidase. The inhibitory activities were compared to those of acarbose and revealed stronger inhibition of α-glucosidase as compared to α-amylase in I. aquatica phytochemicals, though this remains preclinical research.

5. Scientific Evidence by Area of Use

5.1 Laxative and Purgative Effects

Traditional and mechanistic basis: Pharbitidis Semen has become a hotspot of research recently because of its obvious pharmacological effects, including laxative, diuretic, bacteriostasis, insect repellent effect on Ascaris roundworms, and antitumor effect.

Evidence quality: The laxative effects of morning glory seeds and jalap roots are among the best-characterized traditional applications, supported by mechanistic (in vitro and animal) studies demonstrating ion-channel effects on intestinal epithelia and water movement. Mexican jalap roots, a pre-Hispanic medicinal plant complex still considered to be a useful laxative, can be found as an ingredient in some over-the-counter products sold by herbalists in contemporary Mexico. However, there are currently no rigorously controlled human clinical trials establishing safety and efficacy of standardized morning glory root or seed preparations as laxatives. Evidence remains at the level of traditional use supported by mechanistic preclinical data.

5.2 Anti-Inflammatory and Antinociceptive Effects (I. pes-caprae)

The biological activities of I. pes-caprae extract include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, antimicrobial, antispasmodic, anticancer, antitumor, antiproliferative, and multidrug-resistance inhibitory activities.

Preclinical evidence: A gel containing I. pes-caprae phenolic-rich leaf extract was developed and evaluated. The gel inhibited inflammation in acute and chronic models, accelerated the wound healing process, and snake venom-induced edema was inhibited by the gel.

An animal study (rat model) showed: Administration of I. pes-caprae leaf extract had a very significant effect (p <0.01) on the percentage of inflammation. The treatment at 500 mg/kg BW had the effect of decreasing the volume of edema comparable to the positive control using diclofenac sodium 25 mg. It was concluded that I. pes-caprae leaf extract can be used as an anti-inflammatory by decreasing rat feet edema volume.

Evidence quality: All available evidence is preclinical (in vitro and animal models). No human clinical trials of morning glory anti-inflammatory preparations have been identified. Evidence is preliminary.

5.3 Glycemic Control (I. aquatica)

I. aquatica (water morning glory) has been recently demonstrated for antidiabetic activity in in vivo experiments, but its prospect as a food-based glycemic control is not properly established. Previous works demonstrated the potential of I. aquatica extract to exhibit pharmacological activities including prevention of liver injury, anticancer activities, and hypoglycemic effects.

Evidence quality: Evidence is limited to in vitro enzyme inhibition studies and in vivo animal studies. No human clinical trials have been identified. Evidence is preliminary and insufficient to support therapeutic claims.

5.4 Psychoactive / Entheogenic Effects

The seeds of various morning glory species contain ergoline alkaloids like ergine (LSA) and isoergine, which are structurally related to LSD and can produce psychedelic effects lasting 4 to 10 hours when ingested in sufficient quantities.

The presence of alkaloids derived from lysergic acid in the seeds of Ipomoea violacea and Rivea corymbosa was discovered by Albert Hofmann and confirmed by several workers. Reports of alteration of mental state after ingestion of morning-glory seeds appeared in the medical and public press. Osmond reported an abnormal mental state after ingestion of seeds of Rivea corymbosa, but Kinross-Wright was not able to induce any such changes in eight subjects. Cohen reported that some individuals appear to have no reaction whatsoever while others may respond as to d-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).

A review of recreational user reports reveals the reoccurrence of recreational use of I. tricolor and violacea (morning glory), which had not been reported in medical literature since 1968. Drug users have also been found to experiment with other species, such as I. purpurea, whose psychoactive properties are poorly characterized.

Many believe that LSA is the primary psychedelic constituent of morning glory seeds. Yet this may not be the case, as studies on isolated and synthetic LSA report only minor psychedelic effects. This suggests the compound plays a small role in the overall psychedelic effects from ingesting these seeds. Other lysergamide alkaloids contained in these seeds — including iso-LSA and LSH — may therefore contribute to the experience.

Evidence quality: Subjective psychedelic effects are supported by ethnobotanical records and case reports. Controlled human pharmacology trials on ergoline alkaloids from morning glory seeds are extremely limited, and the precise contribution of each alkaloid to the overall psychoactive effect remains scientifically unresolved. The highly variable alkaloid content between individual seeds further complicates dose-response characterization.

5.5 Anticancer Activity

Pharmacology studies indicate that resin glycosides exhibit cytotoxic and multidrug resistance (MDR) reversal activities. As novel P-glycoprotein inhibitors, resin glycosides have obtained much attention because of their intriguing structures and varied activities.

Evidence quality: Anticancer evidence is entirely in vitro and from animal studies. No human clinical data exist. This area of research is early-stage and exploratory.

5.6 Antimicrobial Activity

Antioxidant activity assessed via the DPPH assay demonstrated concentration-dependent scavenging of free radicals. Antibacterial assays against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus revealed significant inhibitory effects of I. pes-caprae methanol and ethanol extracts.

It has been reported that Ipomoea leptophylla showed activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Evidence quality: All antimicrobial evidence is in vitro. No human clinical trials have been conducted.

6. Body Systems and Health Areas of Association

Gastrointestinal system: Primary traditional and mechanistically supported use — purgation, constipation relief, removal of intestinal parasites, diuresis (seeds and roots, particularly I. nil, I. purga, I. purpurea).
Nervous system / CNS: Ergoline alkaloid content of certain species (notably I. tricolor, I. violacea, Turbina corymbosa) produces serotonergic activity; historically exploited for ritual alteration of consciousness.
Inflammatory and immune system: Anti-inflammatory activity documented preclinically for I. pes-caprae, including inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis and bradykinin-mediated edema.
Integumentary system (skin and wounds): Traditional topical use for wound healing, skin infections, and marine envenomation; preclinical studies support wound-healing and anti-edema properties of I. pes-caprae topical preparations.
Metabolic/endocrine (glycemic): Preliminary evidence for α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibition by I. aquatica phytochemicals; antidiabetic in vivo animal data only.
Oncology (preclinical only): Resin glycosides from multiple Ipomoea species exhibit cytotoxicity and P-glycoprotein inhibition in vitro.
Reproductive system: Ergoline alkaloids exhibit uterotonic properties (discussed under safety), and the class has historical relevance to obstetrics through related ergonovine compounds.

7. Dosage Forms and Dosages Reported in Studies

The following dosages are reported solely as they appear in identified sources; they are not recommendations.

Traditional Chinese medicine (Pharbitidis Semen / Qian Niu Zi): Its traditional effect is to remove water retention by purgation. Stir-fried products are commonly used clinically to weaken side effects including diarrhea and vomiting. Specific gram doses per clinical preparation are reported in Chinese pharmacopoeial references but were not quantified in the sources available for this article.
Anti-inflammatory animal study (I. pes-caprae): In a study evaluating the anti-inflammatory effect of I. pes-caprae leaf extract in edema rats, treatments included 100, 300, and 500 mg/kg body weight of leaf extract, compared to a positive control of 25 mg diclofenac sodium.
Subchronic toxicity study (rat): Diets containing 0.8%, 2.53%, and 8.0% field variety morning glory seed were fed to male and female rats (20 per group) in a 90-day subchronic feeding study.
Forensic/analytical study of psychoactive dose: Analysis revealed that 300 mg of Ipomoea violacea seeds from police seizures, equivalent to approximately 8 seeds, contained a measurable ergoline alkaloid content.

8. Safety Considerations and Drug Interactions

8.1 Toxicity of Seeds — Ergoline Alkaloids

The seeds of morning glory contain a chemical similar to LSD. Eating enough of them can cause many types of symptoms, from diarrhea to hallucinations requiring medical care.

Apart from the desired hallucinogenic effects, patients often exhibit dilated pupils, increased heart rate, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, numbness of the limbs, and muscle spasms.

In the literature, anorexia, nausea, memory loss, dissociative reactions, and schizophrenic relapse are the major psychotic adverse effects that may occur as a result of ingestion of the seeds. Furthermore, in the past, fatal cases have been described after taking seeds containing LSA.

Symptoms and doses reported by drug users were comparable with the few available medical case reports. The most worrying symptom was suicidal ideation, reported by two subjects who ingested Argyreia nervosa and Ipomoea seeds.

8.2 Toxicity of Seeds — Subchronic Animal Data

Effects of morning glory seed were noted mainly in the high-dose group of both sexes in a 90-day rat study. These included increases in mortality, feed consumption (on a body-weight basis), water consumption, serum alkaline phosphatase and potassium, white blood cell count, and brain and liver weights (as a percentage of body weight).

8.3 Toxicity of Resin Glycosides (Purgative Use)

Pharbitidis Semen (Qian Niu Zi) is classified as toxic (有毒) in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The primary toxic components are the resin glycosides (pharbitin), which are also the main active purgative constituents. Because the herb causes significant fluid loss through purgation and diuresis, adequate fluid intake is important.

8.4 Commercial Seed Coatings

Commercial Ipomoea seeds are usually coated with emetic poisons to discourage intoxication. Sometimes, commercial suppliers will coat morning glory seeds with toxic chemicals, including pesticides and an antifungal called methylmercury. These coatings can cause nausea, vomiting, severe stomach cramps, and potential neurotoxicity.

8.5 Pregnancy and Uterotonic Effects

Due to uterotonic effects, morning glory seeds should not be used by pregnant women. The drug has about 4.3% of the antiserotonergic activity of LSD in the isolated rat uterus in vitro, and related ergoline alkaloids such as ergonovine are established uterine contractors. This class effect renders ergoline-containing morning glory seeds particularly concerning during pregnancy.

8.6 Drug Interactions

Morning glory seeds should not be ingested with MAOI antidepressants and lithium, as these are potentially dangerous combinations. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are known to diminish LSA's effects greatly, which may require the consumption of many more seeds, potentially resulting in more adverse effects.

It has been shown that the metabolism of LSD analogues is inhibited by drugs used in HIV therapy. This suggests the possibility that patients treated with antiretroviral drugs taking LSD or Argyreia nervosa, Ipomoea violacea, or Rivea corymbosa may experience an increase in toxicity induced by such hallucinogens.

8.7 Psychiatric Contraindications

The consumption of morning glory seeds should be avoided in people with liver disorders and a history of psychosis.

8.8 Legal Status of LSA

Pure LSA is federally scheduled in the US as a Schedule III drug, the same class as ketamine, codeine, and anabolic steroids. In many places, seeds containing LSA (such as morning glory and Hawaiian baby woodrose) are legal to purchase and possess. However, extracting LSA or consuming it for its psychoactive effects can be illegal.

References

Health Conditions

Health conditions that Morning glory may help support.

No conditions available.

Body Systems

Body systems that Morning glory may help support.

No body systems available.