The hallucinogenic world of tryptamines: an updated review.
Archives of toxicology August 1, 2015 Ana Margarida Araújo, Félix Carvalho, Maria de Lourdes Bastos et al. 290 citations
Tryptamines are a broad class of hallucinogens that act primarily as agonists of the 5-HT2A receptor, producing profound changes in sensory perception, mood, and thought. Historically, natural tryptamines like psilocybin and DMT have been used in ritual contexts, but synthetic tryptamines such as AMT, 5-MeO-DMT, and 5-MeO-DIPT have recently emerged as recreational drugs, often sold as 'research chemicals' online. Reports of intoxication and deaths have raised international concern, though the lack of pharmacological and toxicological data hampers assessment of their public health harm. This review covers historical background, prevalence, patterns of use, legal status, chemistry, toxicokinetics, toxicodynamics, and physiological and toxicological effects in animals and humans.