Evaluation of the Cytotoxicity of Ayahuasca Beverages
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.