Antibiotics
October 24, 2020
Joana Gonçalves, Ângelo Luís, Ana Gradillas et al.
25 citations
Ayahuasca decoctions, made from individual plants and their mixtures, contain high levels of phenolic compounds and flavonoids, which vary among samples. These compounds correspond to strong antioxidant activity, measured by β-carotene bleaching and DPPH assays, and notable anti-inflammatory effects via protein denaturation inhibition. The decoctions also show antimicrobial properties, particularly from Banisteriopsis caapi and Peganum harmala, which inhibit both planktonic and biofilm cells of Acinetobacter baumannii, as well as biofilm formation and violacein pigment production. The study characterizes 48 secondary metabolites using UHPLC-Q/TOF-MS and estimates their concentrations with real standards.
Molecules
November 28, 2020
Ana Y. Simão, Joana Gonçalves, Ana Gradillas et al.
19 citations
Ayahuasca, a beverage used in shamanic ceremonies and increasingly recreationally, contains beta-carboline alkaloids and N,N-dimethyltryptamine, which have hallucinogenic effects. This work examined the cytotoxic effects of these compounds and of five different teas (Banisteriopsis caapi, Psychotria viridis, Peganum harmala, Mimosa tenuiflora, and a commercial preparation) on dopaminergic immortalized cell lines. The extracts were characterized chromatography, and their effects on cell viability and total protein levels were analyzed in N27 dopaminergic neurons. This is the first study of ayahuasca tea's cytotoxicity on neurological dopaminergic cells. Results showed that both cell viability and protein contents decreased when cells were exposed to the individual compounds, teas, and mixtures based on traditional ayahuasca beverages.
SN Applied Sciences
February 21, 2020
Ana Y. Simão, Joana Gonçalves, Débora Caramelo et al.
10 citations
Ayahuasca's potential as a therapeutic agent is underscored by its complex chemistry. In a study involving 150 participants, significant levels of harmine and harmaline were identified using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and solid-phase extraction methods. These compounds, derived from peganum harmala, highlight ayahuasca's pharmacological properties. The findings suggest that traditional medicine practices may offer valuable insights into the therapeutic use of psychedelics, including implications for cannabis and cannabinoid research and advancements in forensic toxicology and drug analysis.
Molecules
September 13, 2021
Joana Gonçalves, Miguel Castilho, Tiago Rosado et al.
9 citations
The main compounds in ayahuasca and its constituent plants become bioaccessible during simulated digestion and are absorbed by intestinal cells, indicating bioavailability. N,N-dimethyltryptamine, Harmine, Harmaline, Harmol, Harmalol, and Tetrahydroharmine were released from the plant matrix and taken up by Caco-2 cell monolayers. The plant extracts showed no cytotoxicity and did not compromise cell monolayer integrity or permeability.
Phytochemical analysis : PCA
August 1, 2024
Joana Gonçalves, Tiago Rosado, Mário Barroso et al.
2 citations
Three miniaturized extraction techniques—dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME), microextraction by packed sorbent (MEPS), and QuEChERS—were compared for extracting the main ayahuasca compounds (DMT, tetrahydroharmine, harmine, harmaline, harmol, and harmalol) from beverage samples. QuEChERS was the most promising and was optimized using 500 μL of extractor solvent, 85 mg of primary secondary amine, and 4 seconds of vortexing. The validated method showed linear ranges of 0.16–10 μg/mL for β-carbolines and 0.016–1 μg/mL for DMT, with extraction efficiencies between 60.2% and 88.0%. The analytical methodology proved accurate and precise, and was successfully applied to real ayahuasca beverage samples.
Molecules
February 26, 2021
Ana Y. Simão, Joana Gonçalves, Ana Gradillas et al.
correction
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