Quantitation of N,N-Dimethyltryptamine and Harmala Alkaloids in Human Plasma after Oral Dosing with Ayahuasca
Journal of Analytical Toxicology October 1, 1996 J. C. Callaway, Lionel P. Raymon, William Lee Hearn et al. 158 citations
After ritual ingestion of ayahuasca, the highest plasma concentrations in 15 healthy male volunteers were 222.3 ng/mL for harmine, 134.5 ng/mL for tetrahydroharmine, and 9.4 ng/mL for harmaline, with N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) also quantitated. Harmala alkaloids were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection, achieving limits of quantitation below 2 ng/mL; DMT was measured by gas chromatography with nitrogen-phosphorus detection. Recovery was quantitative for all analytes. These are the first reported measurements of DMT and harmala alkaloids in human plasma following ritual ayahuasca ingestion. The methods may apply to other biological matrices.