Ayahuasca: Uses, Phytochemical and Biological Activities
Natural Products and Bioprospecting May 27, 2019 Edgar Antonio Estrella-Parra, Julio Cesar Almanza-Pérez, Francisco Javier Alarcón-aguilar 57 citations
Ayahuasca, a psychoactive brew from the Amazon Basin traditionally regarded as a "master plant," is made from Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis. It is thought to stimulate creative thinking and visual creativity. Native healers have used it to treat psychological disorders, with some beneficial effects validated experimentally and clinically. The brew contains β-carbolines and dimethyltryptamines that inhibit monoamine oxidase and activate the 5-HT2A receptor, causing hallucinations. Ayahuasca induces a psychedelic change in the anteroposterior coupling of electrophysiological brain oscillations in humans. Its use has spread globally through syncretic religions, the internet, and smart-shops, generating pharmacological, commercial, and spiritual interest.