Medicinal Plants of Central Asia
Raymond Cooper, Jeffrey John Deakin in Natural Products of Silk Road Plants, 2020
Peganum harmala L. (Nitrariaceae) (Garmala obyknovennaya) (Russian), Hazorispand (Tajik)) is native to the Mediterranean region, the Middle East, Central Asia (including Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan), and China (Missouri Botanical Garden, 2019). In Kyrgyzstan, a decoction of the root is used externally to treat scabies and other skin disorders; the aerial parts are burned, and the smoke inhaled to treat coughs and bronchitis (Pawera et al., 2016). In Tajikistan, the plant is used to treat liver problems, while the smoke from the burning seeds is used to treat symptoms of influenza (Williams, 2012). The plant (seeds, roots, aerial parts) contains the toxic alkaloids harmine, harmaline, harmalol, harmane, and vasicine (Figure 4.11) (Pulpati et al., 2008; Herraiz et al., 2010; Hemmateenejad et al., 2006).
Catalog of Herbs
James A. Duke in Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, 2018
The bark contains ca. 2.2%, the wood ca. 1.1% of the alkaloids harmine (banisterin, telepathin, yagein) (C13H12N2O) and harmaline C13H14N2O, and 0.66% saponin. Harmic amide, N,N-dimethyl-tryptamine, N-methyl tryptamine, 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, and 5-hydroxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, acetyl norhamine, ketotetrahydro norharmine are also reported. The principle alkaloids harmine and harmaline are responsible for the psychedelic effects reported. Five milligrams of harmine produces measurable sexual activity. Harmaline and harmalol have also shown sexual stimulation. Ayahuasca is as powerful as LSD.103 Before World War II, harmine was being studied for the control of parkinsonian-ism.105 Harmine is also used with paralysis (agitans) and encephalitis (lethargiac).33 Injection of harmine in dogs induces trembling, especially of the eyes. On my first trip to the tropics, I was much impressed with the similarities between flowers on Oncidium and those of malpighiaceae. Thus I was almost amused to see Kawanishi, Uhara, and Hashimoto106 report the orchidaceous bases shihunine and dihydro-shihunine from caapi. They also isolate six beta-carboline alkaloids harmine-jV-oxide, harmic acid methylester, harmalinic acid, harmic amide, acetyl norharmine, and ketotetrahydronorharmine.
Phytochemistry of Harmal
Ephraim Shmaya Lansky, Shifra Lansky, Helena Maaria Paavilainen in Harmal, 2017
Among all the harmala alkaloids in the seeds of P. harmala, Khan et al. (2013) considered harmaline to be the most medicinal owing to its established antileishmanial, antimicrobial, antiplatelet, antiplasmodial, antitumoral, hypothermic, and vasorelaxant properties (Figure 6.28). Nonetheless, harmaline is reliable for producing experimental tremors in vivo, and is specifically, along with the other harmala alkaloids, implicated in the pathogenesis of clinical essential tremors (Laviţă et al. 2016). The Harmaline Model of Essential Tremor is based on the effect of harmaline on cerebellar activity: inducing the inferior olive (IO) to burst fire rhythmically, and recruiting rhythmic activity in Purkinje cells (PCs) and deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) (Handforth 2016). Because of the homology between the acute neurotoxicity of harmaline and idiopathic essential tremor (ET) in patients, creating tremor in rodents by dosing with harmaline has become a model for the testing of various potential interventions for human ET (Handforth 2012; Miwa 2007), an extremely widespread health problem for which standard current treatments may include “gamma knife” ablation of parts of the brain with a highly focused beam of ionizing radiation (Colino 2015).
Syrian rue seeds interacted with acacia tree bark in an herbal stew resulted in N,N-dimethyltryptamine poisoning
Published in Clinical Toxicology, 2019
Chuan-Huai Liu, Wei-Lan Chu, Shu-Chen Liao, Chen-Chang Yang, Chih-Chuan Lin
N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a tryptamine with sympathomimetic effects and is an active ingredient of an ancient hallucinogenic beverage called “ayahuasca”, which is frequently used by adolescents and young adults [1]. DMT is commonly taken orally for recreation purpose. It is a challenge to confirm a diagnosis of DMT overdose in an acute situation. Commercially available urine drug test using enzyme multiplied immunoassay technique (EMIT) does not detect DMT. However, DMT may cross-react with sympathomimetic agents resulting in a false positive for amphetamine [2]. Harmaline, a plant alkaloid from the group of harmala alkaloids and beta-carbolines, is a central nervous system stimulant as well as a reversible monoamine oxidase-A inhibitor (MAO-A inhibitor) [3].
Therapeutic Potential Ascribed to Ayahuasca by Users in the Czech Republic
Published in Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 2018
Miroslav Horák, Lea Hasíková, Nahanga Verter
The liana Banisteriopsis caapi contains beta-carboline alkaloids, including harmine, harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine (Ott 1996). Harmine and tetrahydroharmine are monoamine oxidase inhibitors (IMAO) and have antidepressant effects (Sanches et al. 2016). Schenberg et al. (2015) revealed the relationship between the level of harmaline and vomiting. Vomiting is considered an important part of the ayahuasca experience.
Chemical Composition of Traditional and Analog Ayahuasca
Published in Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 2021
Helle Kaasik, Rita C. Z. Souza, Flávia S. Zandonadi, Luís Fernando Tófoli, Alessandra Sussulini
Unusually high harmaline concentrations and harmaline/harmine ratios were detected in samples 9 and 12. This may indicate presence of harmaline-containing additives, probably P. harmala. However, much higher harmaline/harmine ratios in ayahuasca have been reported in previous studies and causes of those findings have not been sufficiently discussed.