Resources
International Association of Kambo Practitioners
“The IAKP – International Association of Kambo Practitioners is a not for profit organisation that seeks to support and encourage the safe, responsible and professional use of Kambô through training, awareness raising, knowledge development and sharing, personal skills development, research and best practice.”
“Amphibian antimicrobial peptides have been known for many decades and several of them have been isolated from anuran species. Dermaseptins are among the most studied antimicrobial peptides and are found in the skin secretion of tree frogs from the Phyllomedusinae subfamily.”
Kambô: Nature’s Vaccine For The Mind And Body
An interview with IAKP founder and Master Practitioner, Karen Kanya Darke.
“Screening for new bioactive peptides in South American anurans has been pioneered in frogs of the genus Phyllomedusa. All frogs of this genus have venomous skin secretions, i.e., a complex mixture of bioactive peptides against potential predators and pathogens that presumably evolved in a scenario of predator-prey interaction and defense against microbial invasion.”
Antitumor and Angiostatic Activities of the Antimicrobial Peptide Dermaseptin B2
“Recently, we have found that the skin secretions of the Amazonian tree frog Phyllomedusa bicolor contains molecules with antitumor and angiostatic activities and identified one of them as the antimicrobial peptide dermaseptin (Drs) B2. In the present study we further explored the in vitro and in vivo antitumor activity of this molecule and investigated its mechanism of action.”
“A frog used for "hunting magic" by several groups of Panoan-speaking Indians in the borderline between Brazil and Peru is identified as Phyllomedusa bicolor. This frog's skin secretion, which the Indians introduce into the body through fresh burns, is rich in peptides. These include vasoactive peptides, opioid peptides, and a peptide that we have named adenoregulin…”
“Three naturally occurring dermorphin-like peptides from the skin of the frog Phyllomedusa bicolor, the related carboxyl-terminal amides, and some substituted analogs were synthesized, their binding profiles to opioid receptors were determined, and their biological activities were studied in isolated organ preparations and intact animals”
Challenges and future prospects of antibiotic therapy: from peptides to phages utilization
“Bacterial infections are raising serious concern across the globe. The effectiveness of conventional antibiotics is decreasing due to global emergence of multi-drug-resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens. This process seems to be primarily caused by an indiscriminate and inappropriate use of antibiotics in non-infected patients and in the food industry.”
“Deltorphins are endogenous linear heptapeptides, isolated from skin extracts of frogs belonging to the genus Phyllomedusa, that have a higher affinity and selectivity for delta opioid binding sites than any other natural compound known.”
Kambo and its Multitude of Biological Effects: Adverse Events or Pharmacological Effects?
“Kambo (or Sapo) is increasingly used in ritual contexts for 'healing' and 'cleansing' purposes, as a 'detox' intervention [1]. Research into the pharmaceutical benefit of the peptides from Kambo, started already in the early 60s, but did not result in the introduction of new therapeutic principles in the clinic, most probably due to the absence of patent protection.”
“Phyllomedusa rohdei, a small Brazilian amphibian, contains in its skin, in addition to a number of inactive polypeptides, at least three peptides active om plain muscle.”