Determination of Tryptamines and β-Carbolines in Ayahuasca Beverage Consumed During Brazilian Religious Ceremonies

A simple and low-cost method using solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography with UV detection was developed to quantify six alkaloids—N,N-dimethyltryptamine, tryptamine, harmine, harmaline, harmalol, and tetrahydroharmine—in ayahuasca samples. The method demonstrated good linearity and repeatability, with a detection limit of 0.12 mg/L. It was applied to 20 samples from a religious group in Fortaleza, Brazil, revealing alkaloid concentrations ranging from 0.3 to 36.7 g/L.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract Ayahuasca is a potent hallucinogenic beverage prepared from Banisteriopsis caapi in combination with other psychoactive plants. N,N-dimethyltryptamine, tryptamine, harmine, harmaline, harmalol, and tetrahydroharmine were quantified in ayahuasca samples using a simple and low-cost method based on SPE and LC with UV diode-array detection. The experimental variables that affect the SPE method, such as type of solid phase and nature of solvent, were optimized. The method showed good linearity (r > 0.9902) and repeatability (RSD < 0.8%) for alkaloid compounds, with an LOD of 0.12 mg/L. The proposed method was used to analyze 20 samples from an ayahuasca cooking process from a religious group located in the municipality of Fortaleza, state of Ceará, Brazil. The results showed that concentrations of the target compounds ranged from 0.3 to 36.7 g/L for these samples.