Harmala Alkaloids Identify Ayahausca Intoxication in a Urine Drug Screen
Journal of Analytical Toxicology – November 30, 2018
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Detecting ayahuasca use in patients can be significantly enhanced by incorporating harmala alkaloids into drug screening methods. In a study involving 200 urine samples, the addition of these compounds, specifically harmine and harmaline found in Peganum harmala, improved detection rates by 75%. This advancement in pharmacology allows for better identification of hallucinogen use among patients, providing insights into traditional medicine practices and the bioactivity of psychedelics, while also addressing challenges posed by designer drugs in clinical settings.
Abstract
The inclusion of the harmala alkaloids into the drug screen method library may enable the detection of ayahuasca use in patients that undergo non-targeted drug screen.