Introduction to the chemistry and pharmacology of psychedelic drugs
Australian Journal of Chemistry July 4, 2023 Scott R. Walker, Glenn A. Pullella, Matthew Piggott et al. 5 citations
Psychedelic science is a multi-disciplinary field that has recently gained public attention due to high-profile studies on psychedelic-assisted therapy for difficult-to-treat mental health conditions. This Primer Review provides an overview of the chemistry and pharmacology of psychedelics, covering natural, semi-synthetic, and fully synthetic substances. It begins with a summary of important psychedelic classes and their traditional human use dating back to prehistoric times. The review examines ergolines (e.g., LSD), tryptamines (e.g., psilocybin, DMT), phenethylamines (e.g., mescaline, MDMA), arylcyclohexylamines (e.g., ketamine, PCP), and other naturally occurring drugs like muscimol and salvinorin A. Contributions from pioneers Albert Hofmann and Alexander Shulgin are briefly summarized, with references to primary literature.