Monoamine Oxidase Inhibition by Plant-Derived β-Carbolines; Implications for the Psychopharmacology of Tobacco and Ayahuasca
Ilana Berlowitz, Klemens Egger, Paul Cumming
Frontiers in Pharmacology May 2, 2022 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.886408 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Ayahuasca Serotonin |
| Keywords | Pharmacology Monoamine neurotransmitter Monoamine oxidase b Antidepressant Monoamine oxidase a Tryptamine Hallucinogen Harmine Dopamine Biogenic amine Phenethylamine Tyramine |
| Citations | 32 |
| Key findings | Beta-carboline alkaloids in plants like Banisteriopsis caapi and tobacco are reversible, competitive MAO inhibitors, but the threshold of inhibition needed to affect biogenic amine neurotransmission remains unknown. |
Abstract
The monoamine oxidases (MAOs) are flavin-containing amine oxidoreductases responsible for metabolism of many biogenic amine molecules in the brain and peripheral tissues. Whereas serotonin is the preferred substrate of MAO-A, phenylethylamine is metabolized by MAO-B, and dopamine and tyramine are nearly ambivalent with respect to the two isozymes. β-Carboline alkaloids such as harmine, harman(e), and norharman(e) are MAO inhibitors present in many plant materials, including foodstuffs, medicinal plants, and intoxicants, notably in tobacco ( Nicotiana spp.) and in Banisteriopsis caapi , a vine used in the Amazonian ayahuasca brew. The β-carbolines present in B. caapi may have effects on neurogenesis and intrinsic antidepressant properties, in addition to potentiating the bioavailability of the hallucinogen N,N -dimethyltryptamine (DMT), which is often present in admixture plants of ayahuasca such as Psychotria viridis . Tobacco also contains physiologically relevant concentrations of β-carbolines, which potentially contribute to its psychopharmacology. However, in both cases, the threshold of MAO inhibition sufficient to interact with biogenic amine neurotransmission remains to be established. An important class of antidepressant medications provoke a complete and irreversible inhibition of MAO-A/B, and such complete inhibition is almost unattainable with reversible and competitive inhibitors such as β-carbolines. However, the preclinical and clinical observations with synthetic MAO inhibitors present a background for obtaining a better understanding of the polypharmacologies of tobacco and ayahuasca. Furthermore, MAO inhibitors of diverse structures are present in a wide variety of medicinal plants, but their pharmacological relevance in many instances remains to be established.
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Citations in the library
Cited by 13
- Neurobiological research on N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and its potentiation by monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibition: from ayahuasca to synthetic combinations of DMT and MAO inhibitors. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences September 10, 2024
- Examining the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interaction of N,N-dimethyltryptamine and harmine in healthy volunteers: Α factorial dose-escalation study. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie March 1, 2025
- Indigenous-Amazonian Traditional Medicine’s Usage of the Tobacco Plant: A Transdisciplinary Ethnopsychological Mixed-Methods Case Study Plants January 11, 2023
- Clinical Pharmacokinetics of N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT): A Systematic Review and Post-hoc Analysis. Clinical Pharmacokinetics February 1, 2025
- The Effects of Ayahuasca on Psychological Disorders: A Systematic Literature Review. Cureus March 1, 2024
and 8 more in the library
Cites 17
- 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
- Pharmacological and therapeutic effects of Peganum harmala and its main alkaloids Pharmacognosy Reviews/Bioinformatics Trends/Pharmacognosy review 2013
- Neuropharmacology of N,N-dimethyltryptamine Brain Research Bulletin April 30, 2016
- The alkaloids of Banisteriopsis caapi, the plant source of the Amazonian hallucinogen Ayahuasca, stimulate adult neurogenesis in vitro Scientific Reports July 7, 2017
and 12 more in the library