Forensic Science International
April 17, 2020
Sarah Eller, Gabriela Ramos Borges, Daniela Souza Ossanes et al.
13 citations
Ayahuasca, a traditional medicine, shows promise in drug studies for its psychoactive components, harmine and harmaline. In a sample of 150 participants, 68% reported significant improvements in mental health after consumption. Advanced chromatography techniques reveal that these compounds could play a crucial role in forensic toxicology and drug analysis. The biochemical analysis highlights their potential therapeutic effects, suggesting that psychedelics like ayahuasca may offer alternative treatments for various psychological conditions while expanding the understanding of chemistry in traditional remedies.
Pharmaceuticals
July 8, 2026
Rodrigo Foss da Silva, Lennon Machado Alves, Fernanda Conte et al.
NBOHs, a class of new psychoactive substances acting on serotonin receptors, show varying neurotoxicity. In human neuron-like cells, two derivatives, 25E-NBOH and 25B-NBOH, reduced cell viability, caused mitochondrial hyperpolarization, and increased oxidative species. In fruit flies, 25B-NBOH impaired climbing ability, and both 25E-NBOH and 25B-NBOH elevated catalase and acetylcholinesterase enzyme activities at 50 nM. These results suggest that 25E- and 25B-NBOH are more toxic than 25I-NBOH, with potential mechanisms involving mitochondrial signaling, oxidative stress, and cholinergic disruption.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
June 10, 2026
Bruno Pereira Dos Santos, Vítor Camargo Pôrto, Letícia Birk et al.
In Brazil, ecstasy-type drugs are the most commonly seized synthetic drugs, and recent years have seen a shift from MDMA to its analog MDA, possibly due to changes in synthetic routes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis of drug seizures in Rio Grande do Sul found MDA in 31.1% of samples, surpassing MDMA at 25.6%, with MDA detections peaking at 52.6% in 2023. Clinical and forensic cases also showed MDA predominating from 2021 onward. This higher prevalence of MDA indicates a change in ecstasy use patterns, highlighting the need for robust analytical methods and ongoing toxicological monitoring to inform drug surveillance and public health policies.