A greener analytical method using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and LC-MS/MS was developed to measure N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and three β-carbolines (harmine, harmaline, tetrahydroharmine) in human hair. The method was sensitive, with limits of quantification from 3 to 8 pg/mg, and linear up to 1000 pg/mg. Recovery was low (36-58%), but selectivity showed no interference. Applied to six real samples, DMT concentrations ranged from 21.5 to 204.4 pg/mg, while β-carbolines were generally higher, with harmine reaching over 1000 pg/mg. The method uses less organic solvent than conventional hair extraction, advancing green analytical toxicology for psychoactive alkaloids.
In an animal model of treatment-resistant depression, psilocybin produced a significant and lasting reduction in behavioral despair and cognitive impairment. The compound increased thyroid-stimulating hormone levels without altering the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, countering stress-induced TSH reductions that may serve as a proxy marker of therapeutic response. Changes in cannabinoid receptor type I after psilocybin administration suggest possible modulation of the endocannabinoid system, though causal links remain unconfirmed. These findings highlight psilocybin's potential to treat treatment-resistant depression through targeting previously unexplored biological pathways.