The alkaloids of Banisteriopsis caapi, the plant source of the Amazonian hallucinogen Ayahuasca, stimulate adult neurogenesis in vitro
Scientific Reports July 7, 2017 José Á. Morales-García, Mario de la Fuente Revenga, Sandra Alonso‐gil et al. 173 citations
The three main alkaloids of Banisteriopsis caapi—harmine, tetrahydroharmine, and harmaline—along with the harmine metabolite harmol, stimulate adult neurogenesis in vitro. In neurospheres from adult mouse brain progenitor cells, all compounds increased neural stem cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation into adult neurons. This suggests that modulation of brain plasticity may contribute to the antidepressant effects of ayahuasca and expands potential applications of these alkaloids to other brain disorders benefiting from stimulation of endogenous neural precursor niches.