Pilocarpine is a medication which is used in a sweat test to determine if a child has Cystic Fibrosis. As eye drops it is used to manage angle closure glaucoma until surgery can be performed. Orally it is used for dry mouth as a result of Sjögren syndrome or radiation therapy.
Pilocarpine was isolated in 1874 by Hardy and Gerrard and has been used to treat glaucoma for more than 100 years. It is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines. It was originally made from the South American plant Pilocarpus.
Preparation
Plants in the genus Pilocarpus are the only known sources of pilocarpine, and commercial production is derived entirely from the leaves of Pilocarpus microphyllus (Maranham Jaborandi). This genus grows only in South America, and Pilocarpus microphyllus is native to several states in northern Brazil.
There currently are concerns about the sustainability of the Jaborandi plant. Hopefully, moving forward the Brazilian government will protect the lands of the Jaborandi. The supply of Pilocarpine compounds is reliant on weather conditions as well as the availability of the work force. The cultivation of the Jaborandi plant has been set aside for the indigenous people of Brazil.
Due to these facts, shortages occur every few years. Macro Scientific not only distributes Pilocarpine Nitrate but we also warehouse it. Once we can establish your company’s needs and usage pattern, Macro will keep your stock separate so as to maintain a steady supply in case of a supply chain breakdown.
Jaborandi Plant Health Benefits
The jaborandi plant was known and used by the natives of Brazil and Paraguay when European colonizers discovered its medicinal properties. The name of the plant is precisely that one which the natives gave it in the Tupi-guarani language.
Jaborandi was brought to Europe in 1874, and since then, it has been the focal point of much physiological research. It is currently part of various pharmaceutical preparations.
Healing Properties and Warning
The most crucial active component of the jaborandi leaves is pilocarpine, an alkaloid with parasympathomimetic properties; that is, it reproduces the actions exerted by the parasympathetic nervous system: increases saliva and sweat production; produces miosis (closes the eye pupil), decreasing the intraocular tension; stimulates the motility of the digestive tract and the production of gastric, pancreatic, and intestinal juice; and reduces heart rate (bradycardia). Its effects are counteracted by atropine.
It is used whenever an increase in sweat production is required (influenza, fever diseases, edema, or hydropsy) and for glaucoma (an increase of the intraocular pressure). It must always be used under medical supervision.
WARNING! Jaborandi contains pilocarpine, an alkaloid that acts on the autonomic nervous system. It must be used under medical supervision, always respecting the recommended doses.
Jaborandi Plant Scientific Facts
- Scientific synonyms: Pilocarpus jaborandi Holmes.
- French: Jaborandi.
- Spanish: Jaborandi.
- Environment: Native to Brazil and spread in tropical areas of South America.
- Description: Shrub of the Rutaceae family, growing up to 1.5 m high. The surface of its leaves is full of small secreting bags, which render a scent similar to that of orange when rubbed.
Parts of the plant used medicinally: The leaves.
Jaborandi plant leaves