Ayahuasca, Pain, and Inflammation: A Systematic Review of Preclinical Studies
Bianca Villanova, Giordano Novak Rossi, Lorena Terene Lopes Guerra, José Carlos Bouso, Jaime E. C. Hallak, Rafael G. Dos Santos
Psychoactives July 15, 2025 DOI: 10.3390/psychoactives4030024 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Inflammation |
| Key findings | Ayahuasca and its alkaloids show antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects in preclinical models, with harmine reducing pro-inflammatory and increasing anti-inflammatory cytokines. |
Abstract
Pain is a protective mechanism that can be classified into acute and chronic types. Ayahuasca is a psychoactive brew rich in dimethyltryptamine or DMT (a 5-HT2A receptor agonist), and harmine (a monoamine-oxidase (MAO) inhibitor) used for religious and therapeutic purposes. Previous preclinical and anecdotal evidence suggests that ayahuasca and its compounds have antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects due to 5-HT2A agonism and MAO inhibition. Thus, the current study aims to provide a systematic review of the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of ayahuasca and its alkaloids in preclinical models. All studies published up to December 2024 were screened and evaluated for eligibility. A total of 1535 publications were identified, of which 29 adhered to the predefined criteria. Reviewed articles reported antinociceptive effects of ayahuasca, harmine, and harmaline. Regarding anti-inflammatory effects, the compounds of ayahuasca, especially harmine, have demonstrated a reduction and an increase in pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, respectively. Although there are promising results regarding the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of ayahuasca and its alkaloids, further investigation is needed.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on ayahuasca, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Patients from included clinical trials | 2016 | Systematic review | |
| Risk assessment of ritual use of oral dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and harmala alkaloids Humans (ritual ayahuasca use) | 2006 | Systematic review | |
| Default Mode Network Modulation by Psychedelics: A Systematic Review Participants from included studies | 2022 | Systematic review | |
| Ayahuasca, dimethyltryptamine, and psychosis: a systematic review of human studies | 2017 | Systematic review | |
| Psychedelic therapy for depressive symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Participants in studies of psychedelic therapy for depressive symptoms (Major... | 2023 | Systematic review with meta-analysis | n = 14 |
Citations in the library
Cites 35
- Hallucinogens in Mental Health: Preclinical and Clinical Studies on LSD, Psilocybin, MDMA, and Ketamine Journal of Neuroscience November 30, 2020
- Psychedelic N,N-dimethyltryptamine and 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine modulate innate and adaptive inflammatory responses through the sigma-1 receptor of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells. PLoS One 2014
- Ketamine for the treatment of mental health and substance use disorders: comprehensive systematic review BJPsych Open December 23, 2021
- Antidepressive and anxiolytic effects of ayahuasca: a systematic literature review of animal and human studies Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry March 1, 2016
- Autonomic, Neuroendocrine, and Immunological Effects of Ayahuasca Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology October 15, 2011
and 30 more in the library