Science Letters
April 17, 2026
Beatriz P. Senra, Ricardo Jorge Dinis-Oliveira, Carlos J. A. Ribeiro
Background: Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms contain the tryptamines psilocybin and psilocin, which are recognized for their therapeutic potential in mental health [1]. Additionally, due to their psychedelic effects, these mushrooms are also used for religious and recreational purposes. The increasing use of these tryptamines and other psychoactive substances has led to regulatory measures,...
Science Letters
April 17, 2026
Diana Dias Da Silva, Andreia Machado Brito-Da-Costa, Francisco Sacadura et al.
Background: Psilocybin, a key psychoactive compound found in Psilocybe mushrooms, has gained increasing attention due to its therapeutic potential in neuropsychiatric disorders [1]. However, comparative preclinical data between isolated psilocybin and whole mushroom extracts remain scarce, particularly regarding behavioural reinforcement and peripheral toxicity [2,3]. Objective: To compare the...
Science Letters
April 17, 2026
Francisco Sacadura, Cláudia Marques, Andreia Machado Brito-Da-Costa et al.
Background: Psilocybin, the main psychoactive compound found in Psilocybe mushrooms, has gained increasing attention due to its potential therapeutic effects in neuropsychiatric disorders [1]. Beyond its central effects, increasing evidence highlights the relevance of the gut–brain axis, suggesting that psychedelics may also influence intestinal microbiota composition. Whole mushroom extracts...
Psychoactives
April 1, 2026
Ricardo Jorge Dinis-Oliveira
In 2025, Psychoactives continued its clear upward trajectory, strengthening its position as an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal dedicated to advancing the science of psychoactive substances, spanning pharmacology, clinical psychiatry, toxicology, neuroscience, forensic science, and public health [...]
Instituto Politécnico do Porto
February 25, 2026
Diana Silva, Andreia Machado Brito-Da-Costa, Mariana Carvalho et al.
Background: Psilocybin is a psychoactive compound found in hallucinogenic mushrooms and is rapidly dephosphorylated in vivo to psilocin, its pharmacologically active metabolite. Despite the growing clinical and scientific interest in these substances, information regarding their interaction with cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes remains scarce, raising concerns about potential drug–drug...
RevSALUS - Revista Científica da Rede Académica das Ciências da Saúde da Lusofonia
2025
Andreia Machado Brito-Da-Costa, Ricardo Jorge Dinis-Oliveira, Áurea Madureira-Carvalho et al.
Psychedelic compounds, including psilocybin, psilocin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT), and mescaline, have long been recognized for their recreational effects and involvement in forensic cases. They have recently gained attention also for their potential therapeutic applications in treating neurological and psychiatric disorders [1]. Despite this...
Psychoactives
May 7, 2022
Ricardo Jorge Dinis-Oliveira
3 citations
Psychoactive substances have been in use for millennia, and their use can be traced back to prehistory, where they were utilized for spiritual purposes in particular [...]
Pharmaceuticals
February 3, 2021
Andreia Machado Brito-Da-Costa, Áurea Madureira-Carvalho, Diana Dias Da Silva et al.
42 citations
Salvia divinorum Epling and Játiva is a perennial mint from the Lamiaceae family, endemic to Mexico, predominantly from the state of Oaxaca. Due to its psychoactive properties, S. divinorum had been used for centuries by Mazatecans for divinatory, religious, and medicinal purposes. In recent years, its use for recreational purposes, especially among adolescents and young adults, has...
Current Molecular Pharmacology
October 15, 2018
Ricardo Jorge Dinis-Oliveira, Carolina Lança Pereira, Diana Dias Da Silva
101 citations
Background:Mescaline (3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine), mainly found in the Peyote cactus (Lophophora williamsii), is one of the oldest known hallucinogenic agents that influence human and animal behavior, but its psychoactive mechanisms remain poorly understood.Objective:This article aims to fully review pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of mescaline, focusing on the in vivo and in vitro...