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...
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 11, 2026
Maria Eduarda Bertino Nahim Garcia, Ema Santos, Diana Dias Da Silva et al.
Background: Holding a relevant ritualistic and ethnomedicinal value among the Mesoamerican tribes, Tagetes lucida Cav. has recently seen its uses being translated into Western communities, primarily for recreational ends, given its psychoactivity. Despite the new popularity resurgence of entheogens, the available data concerning this plant’s pharmacological and safety profile remain scarce...
Instituto Politécnico do Porto
February 27, 2026
C Faria, Diana Dias Da Silva, João José Sousa
Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a highly prevalent and disabling psychiatric condition associated with substantial clinical, social, and economic burden [1,2]. Despite the availability of conventional antidepressants, their limited effectiveness, delayed onset of action, and high relapse rates have renewed interest in innovative therapeutic approaches [3,4,5]. Psilocybin-assisted...
Addiction
December 8, 2025
María Rita Concepción García, Nelson G. M. Gomes, Diana Dias Da Silva
Conventionally used for its stimulant, empathogenic and entactogenic effects, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) is one of the most commonly used psychoactive drugs, specifically among young adults and in nightlife and recreational party contexts. Often perceived as a safe drug, MDMA can display an array of toxic effects on multiple organs, with hyponatraemia (a low blood sodium...
Journal of Ethnopharmacology
January 30, 2025
Maria Rita Garcia, Federico Ferreres, Tiago Mineiro et al.
3 citations
The use of "Mexican calea" (Calea zacatechichi Schltdl.) in ritualistic ceremonies, due to its dream-inducing effects, was until recently limited to indigenous communities in Mexico. However, the plant has recently gained popularity in Western societies being commonly used in recreational settings. Despite the traditional and recreational uses, mechanisms underlying its reported oneirogenic...
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...
Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)
February 25, 2021
Carolina Lobato-Freitas, Andreia Machado Brito-Da-Costa, Ricardo Jorge Dinis-Oliveira et al.
ADB-FUBINACA and AMB-FUBINACA are two synthetic indazole-derived cannabinoid receptor agonists, up to 140- and 85-fold more potent, respectively, than trans-∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (∆9-THC), the main psychoactive compound of cannabis. Synthesised in 2009 as a pharmaceutical drug candidate, the recreational use of ADB-FUBINACA was first reported in 2013 in Japan, with fatal cases being described...
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...
Pharmaceuticals (Basel)
October 23, 2020
Andreia Machado Brito-Da-Costa, Diana Dias Da Silva, Nelson G. M. Gomes et al.
111 citations
Toxicokinetics and Toxicodynamics of Ayahuasca Alkaloids N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), Harmine, Harmaline and Tetrahydroharmine: Clinical and Forensic Impact.
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...