Salvia divinorum is a psychoactive plant presenting a complex pharmacological profile, attracting significant scientific interest due to its potential therapeutic applications and associated health risks. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the toxic and therapeutic effects of S. divinorum, evaluating its potential medical applications while highlighting the risks associated with...
Ayahuasca is a psychoactive drink originally consumed by indigenous people of the Amazon. The lack of regulation of this drink leads to uncontrolled consumption, and it is often consumed in religious contexts. The aim of this work is to compare three miniaturised extraction techniques for extracting the main ayahuasca compounds from beverages. Three sample pretreatment techniques were evaluated...
Ayahuasca, a psychoactive beverage native to the Amazon, originally derived from Banisteriopsis caapi stem scrapings and Psychotria viridis leaves, exhibits hallucinogenic properties due to N,N-dimethyltryptamine. When combined with β-carbolines, it enters the bloodstream and central nervous system, inhibiting monoamine oxidase-A. Over time, therapeutic effects have been associated to ayahuasca...
The psychedelic beverage ayahuasca is originally obtained by Banisteriopsis caapi (B. caapi) (BC) and Psychotria viridis (P. viridis) (PV). However, sometimes these plant species are replaced by others that mimic the original effects, such as Mimosa hostilis (M. hostilis) (MH) and Peganum harmala (P. harmala) (PH). Its worldwide consumption and the number of studies on its potential therapeutic...
This review delves into the therapeutic applications of amphetamine-type stimulants such as lisdexamphetamine dimesylate, mixed amphetamine salts, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), dextroamphetamine, and phentermine. These compounds have been investigated for their potential in treating a range of psychiatric disorders, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), drug...
Traditional therapies, resorting to the use of plants, have acquired a great demand over the years, both for economic reasons and the preference for natural treatments. Some studies suggest that ayahuasca may have beneficial properties in treating some physical and psychological imbalances. Thus, we carried out a systematic review of studies published up to December 2022, where these themes...
Ayahuasca is an Amazonian drink, which contains β-carboline alkaloids and N,N-dimethyltryptamine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the healing potential of decoctions of a commercial mixture, four individual plants and four mixtures of two plants used in the ayahuasca preparation. Thus, the cytotoxic potential of the samples was evaluated and a wound-healing assay was performed with a NHDF...
Ayahuasca is a psychoactive beverage that contains the psychoactive compound N,N-dimethyltryptamine and β-carboline alkaloids. This study aims at determining in vitro the bioavailability and bioaccessibility of the main compounds present in decoctions of four individual plants, in a commercial mixture and in four mixtures of two individual plants used in the preparation of Ayahuasca. The...
The consumption of new psychoactive substances (NPSs) has been increasing, and this problem affects several countries worldwide. There is a class of NPSs of natural origin, consisting of plants and fungi, which have a wide range of alkaloids, responsible for causing relaxing, stimulating or hallucinogenic effects. The consumption of some of these substances is prompted by religious beliefs and...
Ayahuasca is a beverage consumed at shamanic ceremonies and currently has gained popularity on recreational scenarios. It contains beta-carboline alkaloids and N,N-dimethyltryptamine, which possesses hallucinogenic effects. Only a few studies have elicited the psychoactive effects and the dose of such compounds on neurological dopaminergic cells or animals. In this work, we aimed to study the...
Ayahuasca is a psychoactive beverage, originally consumed by indigenous Amazon tribes, of which consumption has been increasing worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate the phytochemical profile, as well as the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties of decoctions of four individual plants, a commercial mixture and four mixtures of two individual plants used in the...
Psilocybin is a naturally occurring tryptamine known for its psychedelic properties. Recent research indicates that psilocybin may constitute a valid approach to treat depression and anxiety associated to life-threatening diseases. The aim of this work was to perform a systematic review with meta-analysis of clinical trials to assess the therapeutic effects and safety of psilocybin on those...
Ayahuasca is a psychoactive beverage prepared traditionally from a mixture of the leaves and stems of Psychotria viridis and Banisteriopsis caapi, respectively, being originally consumed by indigenous Amazonian tribes for ritual and medicinal purposes. Over the years, its use has spread to other populations as a means to personal growth and spiritual connection. Also, the recreational use of...
Until the mid-60s, only the Mazatecs, an indigenous group from Oaxaca, Mexico, used Salvia Divinorum (S. divinorum) due to its hallucinogen properties. Later it was found that the hallucinogen effects of this plant were caused by the presence of a neoclerodane diterpene Salvinorin A (salvinorin A), which is a highly selective agonist of kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) that cause more intense...
BioanalysisJuly 1, 2016Cláudia Margalho, Francisco Corte Real, Manuel López-rivadulla et al.
The identification and quantitation of the main psychoactive component of Salvia divinorum (salvinorin A) in biological specimens are crucial in forensic and clinical toxicology. Despite all the efforts made, its uncontrolled abuse has increased quickly, exposing its users' health to serious risks both in the short and long term. The use of alternative biological matrices in toxicological...
S. divinorum is a psychoactive plant that has been consumed as a recreational drug of abuse in the last years. Salvinorin A is its main constituent, and is responsible for the observed psychoactive effects. Both S. divinorum and salvinorin A have become controlled drugs in several countries, but they are not listed in the Schedules of the United Nations Drug Conventions. Regarding the effects...