Natural psychedelics in the treatment of depression; a review focusing on neurotransmitters.
Samane Jahanabadi, Shayan Amiri, Mehdi Karkeh-Abadi, Ali Razmi
Fitoterapia September 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1016/j.fitote.2023.105620 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Depression DMT Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Natural psychedelics Neurotransmission system Psychedelic medicine Mental health treatment Alternative antidepressants Neuroscience research |
| Citations | 14 |
| Key findings | Natural psychedelics exert neurobiological therapeutic effects through multiple neurotransmission systems, offering novel mechanisms for treating depression. |
Abstract
Natural psychedelic compounds are emerging as potential novel therapeutics in psychiatry. This review will discuss how natural psychedelics exert their neurobiological therapeutic effects, and how different neurotransmission systems mediate the effects of these compounds. Further, current therapeutic strategies for depression, and novel mechanism of action of natural psychedelics in the treatment of depression will be discussed. In this review, our focus will be on N, N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), reversible type A monoamine oxidase inhibitors, mescaline-containing cacti, psilocybin/psilocin-containing mushrooms, ibogaine, muscimol extracted from Amanita spp. mushrooms and ibotenic acid.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on DMT for depression, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered clinical studies investigating psychedelic drugs for psychiatric disorders. Registered clinical trials on clinicaltrials.gov evaluating psychedelics for... | 2021 | Review | n = 70 |
| Role of Psychedelics in Treatment-Resistant Depression. | 2023 | Review | |
| Psilocybin and Other Classic Psychedelics in Depression. | 2024 | Review | |
| Benefits and Challenges of Ultra-Fast, Short-Acting Psychedelics in the Treatment of Depression | 2025 | Review | |
| Ayahuasca for the Treatment of Depression. | 2022 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- The evolution of N, N-Dimethyltryptamine: from metabolic pathways to brain connectivity. Psychopharmacology April 11, 2025
- The molecular mechanisms through which psilocybin prevents suicide: evidence from network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses Translational Psychiatry June 16, 2025
- Unraveling the policies, legislations, and regulations of psychedelics in Australia, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, and India. Health policy (Amsterdam, Netherlands) July 8, 2025
- The effect of Psilocybe cubensis alkaloids on depressive-like behavior in mice exposed to maternal separation with respect to hippocampal gene expression and DNA methylation of Slc6a4 and Nr3c1. Behavioural Pharmacology April 1, 2025
- Efficacy of psilocybin on death anxiety in terminal patients: a narrative review Progress in Palliative Care December 1, 2025
Cites 78
- Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 23, 2012
- Psilocybin induces schizophrenia-like psychosis in humans via a serotonin-2 agonist action Neuroreport December 1, 1998
- Rapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial Psychological Medicine June 15, 2018
- Psychedelic effects of psilocybin correlate with serotonin 2A receptor occupancy and plasma psilocin levels Neuropsychopharmacology January 26, 2019
- A non-hallucinogenic psychedelic analogue with therapeutic potential. Nature 2021
and 73 more in the library