Behavioral Changes Over Time Following Ayahuasca Exposure in Zebrafish
Robson Savoldi, Daniel Polari, Jaquelinne Pinheiro‐da‐silva, Priscila Fernandes Silva, Bruno Lobão‐soares, Maurı́cio Yonamine, Fúlvio Aurélio de Morais Freire, Ana Carolina Luchiari
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience July 28, 2017 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00139 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 70 |
| Population | Adult zebrafish |
| Intervention | Ayahuasca infusion |
| Dose | 0, 0.1, 0.5, 1, and 3 ml/L |
| Duration | 60 minutes |
| Topics | Anxiety Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Zebrafish Hallucinogen Pharmacology |
| Citations | 38 |
| Key findings | Low concentrations of ayahuasca reduce anxiety-like behavior in zebrafish, while higher concentrations produce anxiogenic effects. |
Abstract
The combined infusion of Banisteriopsis caapi stem and Psychotria viridis leaves, known as ayahuasca, has been used for centuries by indigenous tribes. The infusion is rich in N, N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors, with properties similar to those of serotonin. Despite substantial progress in the development of new drugs to treat anxiety and depression, current treatments have several limitations. Alternative drugs, such as ayahuasca, may shed light on these disorders. Here, we present time-course behavioral changes induced by ayahuasca in zebrafish, as first step toward establishing an ideal concentration for pre-clinical evaluations. We exposed adult zebrafish to five concentrations of the ayahuasca infusion: 0 (control), 0.1, 0.5, 1, and 3 ml/L (n = 14 each group), and behavior was recorded for 60 min. We evaluated swimming speed, distance traveled, freezing and bottom dwelling every min for 60 min. Swimming speed and distance traveled decreased with an increase in ayahuasca concentration while freezing increased with 1 and 3 ml/L. Bottom dwelling increased with 1 and 3 ml/L, but declined with 0.1 ml/L. Our data suggest that small amounts of ayahuasca do not affect locomotion and reduce anxiety-like behavior in zebrafish, while increased doses of the drug lead to crescent anxiogenic effects. We conclude that the temporal analysis of zebrafish behavior is a sensitive method for the study of ayahuasca-induced functional changes in the vertebrate brain.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on ayahuasca for anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effects of Long-Term Ayahuasca Administration on Memory and Anxiety in Rats Rats | 2015 | Animal study | |
| Antidepressant and anxiolytic-like effects of ayahuasca in rats subjected to LPS-induced neuroinflammation Male rats, about 90 days old | 2022 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 80 |
| An ontogenic study of the behavioral effects of chronic intermittent exposure to ayahuasca in mice C57BL/6 mice | 2017 | Animal study | |
| Psychedelics: A review of their effects on recalled aversive memories and fear/anxiety expression in rodents Rodents | 2024 | Review | |
| Ayahuasca Pretreatment Prevents Sepsis-Induced Anxiety-Like Behavior, Neuroinflammation, and Oxidative Stress, and Increases Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor. Rats | 2025 | Animal study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 24
- Psychedelic Drugs in Biomedicine TIPS - Trends in Pharmacological Sciences September 22, 2017
- Psychedelics: Alternative and Potential Therapeutic Options for Treating Mood and Anxiety Disorders Molecules April 13, 2022
- Ayahuasca's therapeutic potential: What we know - and what not. European Neuropsychopharmacology 2023
- Acute effects of ayahuasca in a juvenile non-human primate model of depression Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry November 21, 2018
- Ayahuasca: A review of historical, pharmacological, and therapeutic aspects. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences Reports December 1, 2023
and 19 more in the library
Cites 34
- A Randomized Trial of an N-methyl-D-aspartate Antagonist in Treatment-Resistant Major Depression Archives of General Psychiatry August 1, 2006
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitors in South American hallucinogenic plants: Tryptamine and β-carboline constituents of Ayahuasca Journal of Ethnopharmacology April 1, 1984
- Human Pharmacology of Ayahuasca: Subjective and Cardiovascular Effects, Monoamine Metabolite Excretion, and Pharmacokinetics Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics June 18, 2003
- Human Psychopharmacology of Hoasca, A Plant Hallucinogen Used in Ritual Context in Brazil The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease February 1, 1996
- Antidepressive, anxiolytic, and antiaddictive effects of ayahuasca, psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD): a systematic review of clinical trials published in the last 25 years Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology March 18, 2016
and 29 more in the library