Psychoactive Plant Database - Neuroactive Phytochemical Collection

1. J Ethnopharmacol. 2024 Sep 6;337(Pt 1):118775. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118775.
 Online ahead of print.

Banisteriopsis caapi extract: Implications for neuroinflammatory pathways in 
Locus coeruleus lesion rodent model.

Graça SC(1), Bustelli IB(2), Santos ÉVD(3), Fernandes CG(4), Lanaro R(5), 
Stilhano RS(6), Linardi A(7), Caetano AL(8).

Author information:
(1)Department of Physiological Sciences, Santa Casa de São Paulo School of 
Medical Sciences (FCMSCSP), 01221-020, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic 
address: santhiagocalvelo@hotmail.com.
(2)Department of Physiological Sciences, Santa Casa de São Paulo School of 
Medical Sciences (FCMSCSP), 01221-020, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
(3)Department of Physiological Sciences, Santa Casa de São Paulo School of 
Medical Sciences (FCMSCSP), 01221-020, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic 
address: schilman.victoria@gmail.com.
(4)Department of Physiological Sciences, Santa Casa de São Paulo School of 
Medical Sciences (FCMSCSP), 01221-020, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic 
address: carolina.fernandes@fcmsantacasasp.edu.br.
(5)Faculty of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), 
13083-894, Campinas, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: rlanaro@unicamp.br.
(6)Department of Physiological Sciences, Santa Casa de São Paulo School of 
Medical Sciences (FCMSCSP), 01221-020, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic 
address: roberta.yamaguchi@fcmsantacasasp.edu.br.
(7)Department of Physiological Sciences, Santa Casa de São Paulo School of 
Medical Sciences (FCMSCSP), 01221-020, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic 
address: alelinardi40@gmail.com.
(8)Department of Physiological Sciences, Santa Casa de São Paulo School of 
Medical Sciences (FCMSCSP), 01221-020, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic 
address: ariadiny.caetano@fcmsantacasasp.edu.br.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY RELEVANCE: Ayahuasca is a beverage obtained from the 
decoctions of Banisteriopsis caapi (Spruce ex Griseb.) Morton and Psychotria 
viridis Ruiz & Pav., used throughout the Amazon as a medicinal beverage for 
healing and spiritual exploration. The Banisteriopsis caapi extract consists of 
harmine, harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine (THH); which inhibit the isoforms of 
monoamine oxidase A and B. In the central nervous system (CNS), it can increase 
the norepinephrine (NE) concentration, produced in the Locus coeruleus (LC), 
reducing inflammation that is associated with some neurological disease, such as 
Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
AIM OF THE STUDY: evaluate the effects of treatment with B. caapi extract on the 
neuroinflammatory profile in animals with selective LC lesions.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: male Wistar rats with LC lesions induced by 
6-hydroxydopamine were treated with B. caapi extract. Subsequently, behavioral 
tests were conducted, including the elevated plus maze, rotarod, and open field. 
Tyrosine hydroxylase positive (TH+) neurons and IBA-1 positive microglia were 
quantified from the LC inflammatory markers and free radical products were 
assessed.
RESULTS: Both 6-Hydroxydopamine hydrochloride and the Banisteriopsis caapi 
extract causes reduction of LC neurons, at the concentration and frequency used. 
The LC depletion and the treatment of B. caapi extract interfere with 
locomotion. B. caapi extract and the LC lesion increased the number and 
activation of inflammatory cells, such as microglia. B. caapi extract decreases 
IL-10 in the hippocampus and BDNF gene expression.
CONCLUSION: This study suggests that B. caapi extract (at the concentration and 
frequency used) promotes noradrenergic neuron depletion and creates a 
proinflammatory environment in the CNS.

Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118775
PMID: 39244172

Conflict of interest statement: Declaration of competing interest The authors 
declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal 
relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this 
paper.


2. Phytochem Anal. 2024 Aug;35(6):1371-1382. doi: 10.1002/pca.3370. Epub 2024 May
 3.

Comparative study of sample preparation procedures to determine the main 
compounds in ayahuasca beverages by QuEChERS and high-performance liquid 
chromatography analysis.

Gonçalves J(1)(2), Rosado T(1)(2), Barroso M(3), Restolho J(4), Fernández N(5), 
Luís Â(1)(2), Gallardo E(1)(2), Duarte AP(1)(2).

Author information:
(1)Centro de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde (CICS-UBI), Universidade da Beira 
Interior, Covilhã, Portugal.
(2)Laboratório de Fármaco-Toxicologia, UBIMedical, Universidade da Beira 
Interior, Covilhã, Portugal.
(3)Serviço de Química e Toxicologia Forenses, Instituto Nacional de Medicina 
Legal e Ciências Forenses, Delegação do Sul, Lisbon, Portugal.
(4)Eurofins Forensic Services (Heathrow), Feltham, UK.
(5)Cátedra de Toxicología y Química Legal, Laboratorio de Asesoramiento 
Toxicológico Analítico (CENATOXA), Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, 
Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.

INTRODUCTION: Ayahuasca is a psychoactive drink originally consumed by 
indigenous people of the Amazon. The lack of regulation of this drink leads to 
uncontrolled consumption, and it is often consumed in religious contexts.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this work is to compare three miniaturised extraction 
techniques for extracting the main ayahuasca compounds from beverages.
METHODOLOGY: Three sample pretreatment techniques were evaluated (dispersive 
liquid-liquid microextraction [DLLME], microextraction by packed sorbent [MEPS] 
and QuEChERS [Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe]) for the 
simultaneous extraction of N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), tetrahydroharmine 
(THH), harmine, harmaline, harmol and harmalol from ayahuasca beverage samples. 
Then, the most promising technique (QuEChERS) was chosen to pre-concentrate the 
analytes, subsequently detected by high-performance liquid chromatography 
coupled to a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD).
RESULTS: The procedure was optimised, with the final conditions being 500 μL of 
extractor solvent, 85 mg of primary secondary amine (PSA) and 4 s of vortexing. 
The analytical method was validated, showing to be linear between 0.16 and 
10 μg/mL for β-carbolines and between 0.016 and 1 μg/mL for DMT, with 
coefficients of determination (R2) between 0.9968 and 0.9993. The limit of 
detection (LOD) and lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) were 0.16 μg/mL for all 
compounds, except for DMT (0.016 μg/mL) and extraction efficiencies varied 
between 60.2% and 88.0%.
CONCLUSION: The analytical methodology proved to be accurate and precise, with 
good linearity, LODs and LLOQs. This method has been fully validated and 
successfully applied to ayahuasca beverage samples.

© 2024 The Authors. Phytochemical Analysis published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

DOI: 10.1002/pca.3370
PMID: 38699824 [Indexed for MEDLINE]


3. Int J Toxicol. 2024 May-Jun;43(3):327-339. doi: 10.1177/10915818241230916.
Epub  2024 Feb 16.

Ayahuasca and Dimethyltryptamine Adverse Events and Toxicity Analysis: A 
Systematic Thematic Review.

White E(1), Kennedy T(2), Ruffell S(3)(4), Perkins D(3)(5)(6)(7), Sarris 
J(3)(7)(8)(9).

Author information:
(1)Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Physiology, Monash University, 
Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
(2)The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
(3)Psychae Institue, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
(4)Onaya Science, Iquitos, Peru.
(5)School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 
VIC, Australia.
(6)School of Social and Political Science, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 
VIC, Australia.
(7)Centre for Mental Health, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, 
Australia.
(8)NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Westmead, NSW, 
Australia.
(9)The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of 
Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

The objective of this paper is to conduct a systematic thematic review of 
adverse events, safety, and toxicity of traditional ayahuasca plant preparations 
and its main psychoactive alkaloids (dimethyltryptamine [DMT], harmine, 
harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine), including discussing clinical considerations 
(within clinical trials or approved settings). A systematic literature search of 
preclinical, clinical, epidemiological, and pharmacovigilance data (as well as 
pertinent reviews and case studies) was conducted for articles using the 
electronic databases of PubMed and Web of Science (to 6 July 2023) and PsycINFO, 
ClinicalTrials.gov, and Embase (to 21 September 2022) and included articles in 
English in peer-reviewed journals. Additionally, reference lists were searched. 
Due to the breadth of the area covered, we presented the relevant data in a 
thematic format. Our searches revealed 78 relevant articles. Data showed that 
ayahuasca or DMT is generally safe; however, some adverse human events have been 
reported. Animal models using higher doses of ayahuasca have shown abortifacient 
and teratogenic effects. Isolated harmala alkaloid studies have also revealed 
evidence of potential toxicity at higher doses, which may increase with 
co-administration with certain medications. Harmaline revealed the most issues 
in preclinical models. Nevertheless, animal models involving higher-dose 
synthetic isolates may not necessarily be able to be extrapolated to human use 
of therapeutic doses of plant-based extracts. Serious adverse effects are rarely 
reported within healthy populations, indicating an acceptable safety profile for 
the traditional use of ayahuasca and DMT in controlled settings. Further 
randomized, controlled trials with judicious blinding, larger samples, and 
longer duration are needed.

DOI: 10.1177/10915818241230916
PMCID: PMC11088222
PMID: 38363085 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

Conflict of interest statement: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe 
author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the 
research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.


4. Chem Biodivers. 2024 Feb;21(2):e202301263. doi: 10.1002/cbdv.202301263. Epub 
2024 Jan 15.

Anticancer Potential of β-Carboline Alkaloids: An Updated Mechanistic Overview.

Tshikhudo PP(1), Mabhaudhi T(2), Koorbanally NA(3), Mudau FN(4), Avendaño 
Caceres EO(5), Popa D(6), Calina D(7), Sharifi-Rad J(8).

Author information:
(1)Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Directorate 
Plant Health, Division Pest Risk Analysis, Arcadia, Pretoria, South Africa.
(2)Centre for Transformative Agricultural and Food Systems, School of 
Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P. 
Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
(3)School of Chemistry and Physics, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag 
X54001, Durban, 4000, South Africa.
(4)School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of 
KwaZulu-Natal, P. Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
(5)Departamento de quimica e ingenieria Quimica, Universidad Nacional Jorge 
Basadre Grohmann. Avenida Miraflores s/n, Tacna, 23001, Perú.
(6)Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of 
Craiova, 200349, Craiova, Romania.
(7)Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of 
Craiova, 200349, Craiova, Romania.
(8)Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Azuay, Cuenca, Ecuador.

his comprehensive review is designed to evaluate the anticancer properties of 
β-carbolines derived from medicinal plants, with the ultimate goal of assessing 
their suitability and potential in cancer treatment, management, and prevention. 
An exhaustive literature survey was conducted on a wide array of β-carbolines 
including, but not limited to, harmaline, harmine, harmicine, harman, harmol, 
harmalol, pinoline, tetrahydroharmine, tryptoline, cordysinin C, cordysinin D, 
norharmane, and perlolyrine. Various analytical techniques were employed to 
identify and screen these compounds, followed by a detailed analysis of their 
anticancer mechanisms. Natural β-carbolines such as harmaline and harmine have 
shown promising inhibitory effects on the growth of cancer cells, as evidenced 
by multiple in vitro and in vivo studies. Synthetically derived β-carbolines 
also displayed noteworthy anticancer, neuroprotective, and cognitive-enhancing 
effects. The current body of research emphasizes the potential of β-carbolines 
as a unique source of bioactive compounds for cancer treatment. The diverse 
range of β-carbolines derived from medicinal plants can offer valuable insights 
into the development of new therapeutic strategies for cancer management and 
prevention.

© 2023 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.

DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202301263
PMID: 38108650 [Indexed for MEDLINE]


5. Plant Physiol Biochem. 2023 Sep;202:107986. doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.107986.
 Epub 2023 Aug 25.

Morphological, physiological and metabolomic analysis to unravel the adaptive 
relationship between root growth of ephemeral plants and different soil 
habitats.

Peng M(1), He H(2), Jiang M(1), Wang Z(1), Li G(1), Zhuang L(3).

Author information:
(1)College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang, 832003, PR 
China.
(2)Key Laboratory of Oasis Eco-agriculture, Xinjiang Production and Construction 
Corps, College of Agriculture, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang, 832003, PR 
China.
(3)College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang, 832003, PR 
China. Electronic address: 2865375060@qq.com.

To gain insights into the adaptive characteristics of ephemeral plants and 
enrich their potential for resource exploitation, the adaptive changes in two 
highly dominant species (Malcolmia scorpioides and Isatis violascens) to soil 
habitats (aeolian soil, AS; grey desert soil, GS) were investigated from the 
aspects of root morphology, physiology, and metabolism in this study. The 
results revealed that changes in root morphology and enzyme activity were 
affected by soil habitat. Total root length (TRL), root volume (RV) and root 
surface area (RSA) were higher in GS than in AS. The levels of proline (Pro), 
glutathione (GSH), soluble sugar (SS), and lysine (Lys) were higher in GS than 
in AS. Untargeted LC-MS metabolomics indicates that root metabolites of both 
species differed among the two soil habitats. Root responses to different soil 
habitats mainly affected some metabolic pathways. A total of 780 metabolites 
were identified, common differential metabolites (DMs) in both species included 
amino acids, fatty acids, organic acids, carbohydrates, benzene and derivatives, 
and flavonoids, which were mainly involved in carbohydrate metabolism, amino 
acid metabolism, flavonoid biosynthesis and fatty acid metabolism, and their 
abundance varied among different habitats and species. Some key DMs were 
significantly related to root morphology and enzyme activity, and indole, 
malonate, quercetin, uridine, tetrahydroharmine, and gluconolactone were 
important metabolites associated with root growth. Therefore, the response 
changes in root growth and metabolite of ephemeral plants in response to soil 
habitats reflect their ecological adaptation, and lay a foundation for the 
exploitation of plant resources in various habitats.

Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.107986
PMID: 37651954 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

Conflict of interest statement: Declaration of competing interest The authors 
declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal 
relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this 
paper.