Ayahuasca as a Decoction Applied to Human: Analytical Methods, Pharmacology and Potential Toxic Effects
Ľuboš Nižňanský, Žofia Nižnanská, Roman Kuruc, Andrea Szórádová, Ján Šikuta, Anežka Zummerová
Journal of Clinical Medicine February 21, 2022 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11041147 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Decoction Liana Traditional medicine Pharmacology Botany Ecology Alkaloids |
| Citations | 11 |
| Key findings | No post-mortem study has suggested potential lethality from ayahuasca. |
Abstract
Ahyahuasca is a term commonly used to describe a decoction prepared by cooking the bark or crushed stems of the liana Banisteriopsis caapi (contains β-carbolines) alone or in combination with other plants, most commonly leaves of the shrub Psychotria viridis (contains N,N-dimethyltryptamine-DMT). More than 100 different plants can serve as sources of β-carbolines and DMT, which are the active alkaloids of this decoction, and therefore it is important to know the most accurate composition of the decoction, especially when studying the pharmacology of this plant. The aim was to summarize the latest sensitive methods used in the analysis of the composition of the beverage itself and the analysis of various biological matrices. We compared pharmacokinetic parameters in all of the studies where decoction of ayahuasca was administered and where its composition was known, whereby minimal adverse effects were observed. The therapeutic benefit of this plant is still unclear in the scientific literature, and side effects occur probably on the basis of pre-existing psychiatric disorder. We also described toxicological risks and clinical benefits of ayahuasca intake, which meant that the concentrations of active alkaloids in the decoction or in the organism, often not determined in publications, were required for sufficient evaluation of its effect on the organism. We did not find any post-mortem study, in which the toxicological examination of biological materials together with the autopsy findings would suggest potential lethality of this plant.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on ayahuasca, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- New Insights into the Chemical Composition of Ayahuasca ACS Omega April 1, 2022
- Infoveillance and Critical Analysis of the Systematically Reviewed Literature on Dimethyltryptamine and the "God Molecule". Pharmaceuticals June 2, 2023
- Rewarding Effects of the Hallucinogen 4-AcO-DMT Administration and Withdrawal in Rats: A Challenge to the Opponent-Process Theory. Neuroscience Letters January 18, 2024
- N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is neither formed nor retained in serotonin terminals in the rat brain Neuropharmacology February 9, 2026
- Ayahuasca-Induced Serotonin Syndrome: Risks, Mechanisms, and Clinical Considerations Pharmaceutical Science August 1, 2025
and 1 more in the library
Cites 61
- Rapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial Psychological Medicine June 15, 2018
- Antidepressant Effects of a Single Dose of Ayahuasca in Patients With Recurrent Depression Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology December 11, 2015
- 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
- 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
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