Hypothetical biosynthetic pathways of pharmaceutically potential hallucinogenic metabolites in Myristicaceae, mechanistic convergence and co-evolutionary trends in plants and humans.
Phytochemistry February 1, 2024 Rubi Barman, Pranjit Kumar Bora, Jadumoni Saikia et al. 9 citations
The Myristicaceae plant family produces mind-altering compounds including phenylpropanoids (myristicin, elemicin, safrole), tryptamine derivatives (DMT, 5-MeO-DMT), and β-carbolines. This review proposes biosynthetic pathways for these hallucinogenic metabolites. In plants, serotonin biosynthesis is catalyzed by tryptamine 5-hydroxylase (T5H) and tryptophan 5-hydroxylase (TPH), whereas in animals only TPH is involved. The enzyme indolethylamine-N-methyltransferase catalyzes DMT biosynthesis in both plants and mammalian brains. Protein sequence data from NCBI revealed a co-evolutionary relationship between plant and animal enzymes on a phylogenetic tree. The review suggests that DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, and β-carbolines serve as natural protectants against plant stress and neurodegenerative diseases, reflecting co-evolutionary mutualism between plants and humans.