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Rootline Home About Services Plant vs Alkaloid Safety & Risks Practical Differences Contact Field notes / Plant, molecule, context Iboga Vs Ibogaine Two closely connected terms, but not interchangeable: one names a whole plant preparation; the other, a single alkaloid under active scientific scrutiny. Rootline is an independent resource on iboga, ibogaine, evidence, and safety. Folio 01 Cover image Plant and alkaloid are related, not equivalent. 01 / Definitions A whole root bark and a single compound The essential distinction is straightforward, though its cultural, pharmacological, regulatory, and safety implications are not. Iboga generally refers to the whole plant material, most often the root bark of Tabernanthe iboga , a shrub native to West-Central Africa. It contains a complex mixture of alkaloids alongside tannins, cellulose, and other plant compounds. The botanical context matters: Tabernanthe iboga has long-standing ceremonial significance in Bwiti and related traditions. Ibogaine is different: it is a single purified alkaloid associated with iboga. It can be isolated from root bark or made through semi-synthetic routes from related plant material. In research and clinical discussions, it is often described as ibogaine hydrochloride, a salt with measurable composition and dosing. A useful comparative overview from the ibogaine-versus-iboga discussion similarly separates the plant’s many constituents from the isolated molecule. That distinction does not make either category simple. Whole iboga is tied to a cultural and ceremonial setting; purified ibogaine is commonly framed through Western medical research. Both terms can appear in conversations about addiction, trauma, and brain injury, but neither should be treated as a promise of treatment or an instruction for use. Margin note The vocabulary changes the question. “Iboga” can point to a plant, preparation, or ceremonial framework. “Ibogaine” points more narrowly to one molecule and to the risks an

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