Behavioural Brain Research
July 14, 2022
Marina Goulart Da Silva, Guilherme Cabreira Daros, Fabiana Pereira Santos et al.
22 citations
Ayahuasca reduced anxiety-like and depressive-like behaviors in rats with neuroinflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide (0.63 mg/kg/mL). Eighty male rats, about 90 days old, were divided into control and LPS groups, with prevention and treatment subgroups. Ayahuasca (4 mL/kg) or saline was given by gavage one hour before or 24 hours after LPS or saline injections. Open field and forced swimming tests measured behavior. LPS rats given ayahuasca showed less anxiety-like behavior in both subgroups. Depressive-like behavior decreased in LPS rats given ayahuasca, in both prevention and treatment subgroups, compared to controls. The findings suggest anxiolytic and antidepressant potential of ayahuasca in neuroinflammation, possibly via antineuroinflammatory effects.
Behavioural Brain Research
November 6, 2020
Marina Goulart Da Silva, Guilherme Cabreira Daros, Rafael Mariano de Bitencourt
21 citations
Ayahuasca, a psychoactive decoction used for millennia by indigenous groups and Amazonian populations, shows therapeutic effects on behavioral disorders by inhibiting monoamine oxidase and activating serotonin receptors. Its pharmacological response also involves anti-inflammatory action, primarily through dimethyltryptamines (N,N-dimethyltryptamine and 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine), which regulate inflammation and immune homeostasis via sigma-1 receptors. Because neuroinflammation underlies many neurological and psychiatric diseases, the available evidence suggests ayahuasca is a promising and very safe therapeutic strategy, as extremely high doses are required for toxicity. However, additional studies are needed to confirm this evidence and fully elucidate the mechanisms involved.
Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry
July 1, 2026
Guilherme Lodetti, Rafael Mariano de Bitencourt, Antonio Inserra et al.
A single dose of Ayahuasca reduced relapse-like alcohol drinking in alcohol-dependent rats, with effects varying by sex and alcohol concentration. It also lessened anxiety- and depression-like behaviors caused by alcohol withdrawal, increased dopamine in the striatum of both male and female rats, and restored serotonin levels in the cortex primarily in males. Ayahuasca partially reversed alcohol-related drops in brain-derived neurotrophic factor and reduced markers of oxidative stress in the frontal cortex, hippocampus, and striatum. However, antioxidant enzyme activities were not consistently altered, and some neurochemical and oxidative stress measures showed only partial normalization. The findings suggest Ayahuasca modulates multiple neurobiological pathways disrupted by chronic alcohol exposure, with region- and sex-dependent effects.
Psychopharmacology
April 14, 2026
Guilherme Lodetti, Antonio Inserra, Henrique Redivo et al.
A single exposure to ayahuasca reversed behavioral and biochemical changes caused by 14 days of unpredictable chronic stress in adult zebrafish. Stressed fish showed impaired sociability, anxiety-like behavior, hyperactivity, elevated whole-body cortisol, and reduced whole-brain BDNF. Ayahuasca restored sociability, reduced anxiety-like behavior and hyperactivity, normalized cortisol levels, and increased BDNF. These findings suggest ayahuasca can reverse stress-induced behavioral and neuroendocrine alterations, supporting further clinical studies for chronic stress.
Revista Neurociências
October 16, 2024
Vitória Pereira de Menezes, Luis Felipe Batista, Vicente Meneguzzo et al.
Mental disorders are common, but treatments are limited by side effects and low efficacy. Ayahuasca, used for millennia by Indigenous peoples, is being explored as an alternative for anxiety and depression. In an observational longitudinal study of 16 first-time participants in Ayahuasca ceremonies in Brazil, anxiety scores decreased significantly one week and three months after use, and depressive symptoms dropped significantly after one week. The authors suggest the results show promise but note that controlled clinical trials with larger samples and longer follow-up are needed for definitive conclusions.