ABSTRACT
The family’s best-known genus, Coffea, contains one of the most economically important crops in the world, Coffea arabica L. (as well as the less abundantly produced C. canephora Pierre ex A. Froehner and C. liberica W. Bull ex Hiern.). Coffee generates approximately $15 billion in export revenues annually, and is second only to crude oil as the most traded primary commodity (Baffes et al. 2004). While coffee also contains the most wellknown alkaloid, caffeine, other genera in the Rubiaceae also have signicant alkaloids. The roots from Carapichea ipecacuanha (Brot.) L. Andersson are used in the preparation of ipecac syrup. C. ipecacuanha contains the alkaloids cephaeline, emetine, and psychotrine, among others, and various formulations have been used as an expectorant and emetic and for the treatment of amoebic
TABLE 5.1 Common Names Used for Mitragyna speciosa Korth. (Havil.)
dysentery. The bark from Cinchona species contains the alkaloid quinine, which has been used for centuries as an antimalarial (Evans 2002; Balick and Cox 1996). Psychotria viridis Ruiz & Pav. and related species contain N,N,- dimethyltryptamine, and are used in the preparation of the hallucinogenic beverage known as ayahuasca or yagé (Schultes and Hofmann 1973). The bark of Pausinystalia johimbe Pierre ex Beille contains yohimbine and has been used for erectile dysfunction, athletic performance, and weight loss, among other things. (Barceloux 2008; NMCD 2011). The ornamental genera Gardenia, Pentas, and Ixora are also in the Rubiaceae family.
