الوصف

It is a rhizomatous herbaceous or subarbustive species that can reach 0.5 meters in height and branches off slightly pubescent to glabrous axes. Morphologically, the part of the ipecacuanha used in medicine is the root, which is divided into few bifurcations; the plant is angular and twisted, with a thick branch and is composed of rings of different sizes, of a greasy texture in all its freshness.
The color is gray, red or brown. It is produced by the same plant, the age of the plant, the drying mode, etc
It is a product mainly used for its properties Expectorant, Amebicide, Emetic, Diaphoretic. Also, it is mainly used for the phytopharmaceutic or also uses Homeopathical. to the stomach, exciting appetite and facilitating digestion and use it as a Hemostatic agent (antihemorrhagic).
It contains the alkaloids emetine (methylcephaeline) and cephaeline. In its composition is water, mineral salts, starch (reserve substance for being a root), catholic tannins (ipecaccanic acid), glycoproteins with allergic power and alkaloids. The alkaloids are isoquinoline derivatives (2-3.5%), where the main ones are emetine (up to 75% of the total), cephalin and psychotrin. Psychotrin is dehydrogenated cephalin, and emetine is methylated cephalin in an OH group. In addition, it has a compound of its own, called a pecsido, isoquinolein-monoterpenic alkaloid, O-glycoside