A case of beta-carboline alkaloid intoxication following ingestion of Peganum harmala seed extract.

Beta-carboline alkaloids such as harmine, harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine, found in plants like Peganum harmala, Passiflora incarnata, and Banisteriopsis caapi, can stimulate the central nervous system by inhibiting amine neurotransmitter metabolism or directly interacting with receptors. Ingestion of preparations containing these alkaloids can cause toxic effects including hallucinations, ataxia, nausea, vomiting, confusion, and agitation. This report describes a case of intoxication after intentionally drinking an infusion of P. harmala seeds purchased online. The alkaloids were identified in the seed extract and the patient's urine via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, marking the first confirmed case of P. harmala intoxication with toxicological evidence.

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Abstract

Beta-carboline alkaloids harmine, harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine can stimulate the central nervous system by inhibiting the metabolism of amine neurotransmitters, or by direct interaction with specific receptors; they are found in numerous plants, including Peganum harmala, Passiflora incarnata and Banisteriopsis caapi, and in the entheogen preparation Ayahuasca, which is traditionally brewed using B. caapi to enhance the activity of amine hallucinogenic drugs. The ingestion of plant preparations containing beta-carboline alkaloids may result in toxic effects, namely visual and auditory hallucinations, locomotor ataxia, nausea, vomiting, confusion and agitation. We report a case of intoxication following intentional ingestion of P. harmala seed infusion; P. harmala seeds were bought over the Internet. The harmala alkaloids were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in the seed extract and the patient's urine. This is, to our knowledge, the first case of P. harmala intoxication corroborated by toxicological findings.