Toxicological Aspects and Determination of the Main Components of Ayahuasca: A Critical Review
Medicines October 18, 2019 Ana Y. Simão, Joana Gonçalves, Ana Paula Duarte et al. 36 citations
Ayahuasca, a psychoactive beverage traditionally used by indigenous Amazonian tribes for ritual and medicinal purposes, contains compounds such as N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), β-Carbolines, and harmala alkaloids including harmine, tetrahydroharmine, and harmaline. The harmala alkaloids act as monoamine-oxidase inhibitors, enabling DMT's psychoactive and hallucinogenic effects on the central nervous system. Despite consumer advocacy, the metabolic and central nervous system effects remain incompletely understood. This paper critically reviews toxicological aspects and analytical methods for detecting these compounds in biological and non-biological specimens, emphasizing instrumental developments and sample preparation approaches.