A Fully Validated LC-MS Quantitation Method for Psychoactive Compounds Found in Native South American Plant Species
Psychoactives November 8, 2024 Jonathan Tran, Aaron Elkins, Simone Vassiliadis et al. 1 citation
A validated analytical method using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) was developed to measure six psychoactive compounds—tryptamine, N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT), tetrahydroharmine (THH), harmaline, and harmine—in raw plant material. The method achieved high sensitivity, with detection limits between 0.06 and 0.11 ng/mL and quantitation limits between 0.18 and 0.34 ng/mL, along with excellent extraction efficiency (>98%) and recovery (74.1–111.6%). Applied to Psychotria viridis, Psychotria carthagenensis, Banisteriopsis caapi, and Alicia anisopetala, all compounds eluted within nine minutes, enabling high-throughput analysis for potential agricultural and medicinal applications.