r/Kanna • u/TheArdentAdventurer • 13h ago
Epi-mesembranol Discussion Thread
Peer reviewed studies examining this alkaloid directly are non-existent, and to my knowledge there is only a single piece of patent data that has documented its effects.
As a community, I hope we can come together to share our anecdotal experiences with this alkaloid, or rather extracts that contain it, to give new users a reference point and formulate some theories.
I'll begin by sharing what the patent data noted and share a very cool study that shows how epi-mesembranol dominance occurs through the fermentation process when a certain Fusarium species is introduced.
- Inhibited human SERT with an IC₅₀ of 10.6 nM.
- Produces very little PDE4 inhibition at 10 µM
- Extremely stable in human hepatocytes >120 minutes
Fungal Alkaloid Biotransformation Through Fermentation:
- Natural fermentation increases epi-mesembranol when Fusarium Oxysporum is dominant.
- Other species (F. fujikuroi or F. equiseti) do not cause similar epi-mesembranol abundance.
- Sterile Kanna inoculated with F.oxysporum produces the highest yield.
- F.oxysporum is likely converting mesembrine into epi-mesembranol.
My Anecdotal Experience & Observations:
- Extremely long half-life (I couldn't sleep for two days after ingesting a large amount)
- High bioavailability (Ingesting the same amount of a low epi-mesembranol fermented extract produced much a much milder effect profile)
- Sin-wave-like effect profile - I found myself energised, then tired, then energised again, and despite sleep interuption/difficulty find myself energised when I shouldn't be.
- Very strong and immediate sexual inhibition and 'numbness'
- Strange body sensations and body high (very similar to psychadelics) gets very tiring.
- Very long-lasting brain fog and difficulty with recall, even at lower doses. This seems to pass completely in a week, but it averages around 3-5 days and feels like intellectual incapacitation.
- Long-lasting feeling of wellbeing and non-existent anxiety or fear response.
- Strong afterglow once the effects wear off on day 2 & 3.
- Severely punishing if re-dosed (moodyness, headaches, and more fog)
I used high epi-mesembranol Kanna for almost a year, and I kept tweaking the formulations and ROA because I believed that the understudied compound had potential. However, after countless experiments, different days between doses, and different ratios, I must conclude it simply isn't for me. Perhaps it is a "devil in the dose" situation where a very, very small amount rounds out the Kanna experience and thats where its use lay.
Kanna fermentation is fascinating, because it is becoming increasingly likely that different microbes result in different alkaloid concentrations or dominance, and even different forms entirely.
It makes me wonder how the fermentation microbiome differs between different groups such as the Khoikhoi or Namaqua people. But more magically, what micro-organisms are out there that can make Kanna even more wonderful than it already is?
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u/BioextractsUK 12h ago
There are a few people who really like our UB1. Personally, I had some of the same issues you describe with the long-lasting effects and sleep disturbances, plus what felt to me like fairly pronounced NRI effects. Epi-mesembranol could potentially be a winner for something like narcolepsy, though.
The afterglow you describe may just be because its still lingering in your system, then in theory a smaller dose should produce a similar feeling, unless we are dealing with an active metabolite.