Mannitol in Amanita muscaria--an osmotic blood-brain barrier disruptor enhancing its hallucinogenic action?
Medical Hypotheses November 1, 2013 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2013.07.048 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Pharmacology Drug action Drug mechanism Drug effects Drug activity Drug potency Blood-brain barrier Bbb Brain penetration Neurovascular barrier Brain drug delivery Mycology Mushrooms Fungi Fungal studies *amanita muscaria* Psychoactive compounds Hallucinogens Psychedelics Psychoactive substances Mind-altering drugs Bioavailability Drug absorption Enhanced penetration Drug uptake Co-factors Synergy |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key points | Proposes that mannitol in Amanita muscaria may enhance the brain transport and activity of its active substances, explaining a greater hallucinogenic effect than expected from the dose of active compounds. |
Abstract
Hypothesis have been made that relatively high level of mannitol present in the tissues of fly agaric (Amanita muscaria) enables more efficient transportation of these active substances into the brain and thus enhance their total activity. It may have been supported by the fact that hallucinogenic effect after A. muscaria consumption is greater than after ingestion of an active substance quantity which the eaten fungi dose contain.