Evaluation of Neurotoxicity of NBOH Derivatives
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.