Tetrahydrocannabinol

Dimethyltryptamine History[edit] Another historical milestone is the discovery of DMT in plants frequently used by Amazonian natives as additive to the vine Banisteriopsis caapi to make ayahuasca decoctions. Biosynthesis[edit] Biosynthetic pathway for N,N-dimethyltryptamine This transmethylation mechanism has been repeatedly and consistently proven by radiolabeling of SAM methyl group with carbon-14 (14C-CH3)SAM).[22][20][24][25][26] Evidence in mammals[edit] In 2013, researchers first reported DMT in the pineal gland microdialysate of rodents.[28] A study published in 2014 reported the biosynthesis of N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) in the human melanoma cell line SK-Mel-147 including details on its metabolism by peroxidases. [29] In a 2014 paper, a group first demonstrated the immunomodulatory potential of DMT and 5-MeO-DMT through the Sigma-1_receptor of human immune cells. INMT[edit] Endogenous DMT[edit] The first claimed detection of mammalian endogenous DMT was published in June 1965: German researchers F.

Tetrahydrocannabinol Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the active chemical in cannabis and is one of the oldest hallucinogenic drugs known. There is evidence that cannabis extracts were used by the Chinese as a herbal remedy since the first century AD. Cannabis comes from the flowering tops and leaves of the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa (shown in the picture on the right). Cannabis contains approximately 60 different psychoactive chemicals called cannabinoids, of which the most important one is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The cannabinoids belong to a class of chemicals called terpenoids, meaning terpene-like. THC as an Illegal Drug The cannabinoids are basically non-polar molecules, with low solubility in water, so they are normally self-administered by smoking. Medical Uses Apart from the recreational uses and abuses, THC does have some medical uses. References: Organic Chemistry, Morrison and Boyd (Allyn and Bacon, 1983).

Psilocybin Psilocybin[nb 1] (/ˌsɪləˈsaɪbɪn/ SIL-ə-SY-bin) is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound produced by more than 200 species of mushrooms, collectively known as psilocybin mushrooms. The most potent are members of the genus Psilocybe, such as P. azurescens, P. semilanceata, and P. cyanescens, but psilocybin has also been isolated from about a dozen other genera. As a prodrug, psilocybin is quickly converted by the body to psilocin, which has mind-altering effects similar (in some aspects) to those of LSD, mescaline, and DMT. In general, the effects include euphoria, visual and mental hallucinations, changes in perception, a distorted sense of time, and spiritual experiences, and can include possible adverse reactions such as nausea and panic attacks. History[edit] Early[edit] Modern[edit] Albert Hofmann (shown here in 1993) purified psilocybin and psilocin from Psilocybe mexicana in the late 1950s. Occurrence[edit]

Cannabis Vault : Chemistry Cannabis Chemistryby Erowid THC Material Safety Data Sheet (Occupational Health Services) Lysergic acid diethylamide Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide (INN) and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed- and open-eye visuals, synesthesia, an altered sense of time and spiritual experiences, as well as for its key role in 1960s counterculture. It is used mainly as an entheogen, recreational drug, and as an agent in psychedelic therapy. LSD is non-addictive, is not known to cause brain damage, and has extremely low toxicity relative to dose.[3] However, acute adverse psychiatric reactions such as anxiety, paranoia, and delusions are possible.[4] LSD was first synthesized by Albert Hofmann in 1938 from ergotamine, a chemical derived by Arthur Stoll from ergot, a grain fungus that typically grows on rye. Effects Physical LSD can cause pupil dilation, reduced or increased appetite, and wakefulness. Psychological Sensory Potential uses

The Endocannabinoid System: An Osteopathic Perspective The endocannabinoid system was discovered long after the endorphin system, which was indirectly detected in 1801 when morphine sulfate was isolated from opium. Morphine's mechanism of action remained a mystery until the opioid μ receptor was identified. That discovery begged the question: Why do humans express a receptor for an opium poppy (Papavera somniferum) plant compound? In 1897, Andrew Taylor Still, MD, DO,2 the founder of osteopathic medicine, famously stated, “Man should study and use the drugs compounded in his own body.” Since then, research—particularly osteopathic medical research—has redirected its attention from the endorphin system to the endocannabinoid system.4-10 A search on the National Library of Medicine's PubMed database of endorphin in the 1992 literature, the year endocannabinoids were discovered, returns 596 citations, whereas endocannabinoid yields only two citations. Exogenous Cannabinoids Animal studies of THC began immediately after its discovery. Figure 1.

Melatonin Melatonin The hormone can be used as a sleep aid and in the treatment of sleep disorders. It can be taken orally as capsules, tablets, or liquid. It is also available in a form to be used sublingually, and there are transdermal patches. Discovery[edit] Biosynthesis[edit] Melatonin biosynthesis involves four enzymatic steps from the essential dietary amino acid tryptophan, which follows a serotonin pathway. In bacteria, protists, fungi, and plants melatonin is synthesized indirectly with tryptophan as an intermediate product of the shikimic acid pathway. Regulation[edit] In vertebrates, melatonin secretion is regulated by norepinephrine. It is principally blue light, around 460 to 480 nm, that suppresses melatonin,[24] proportional to the light intensity and length of exposure. Animals[edit] In vertebrates, melatonin is produced at nighttime by the pineal gland, a small endocrine gland[30] located in the center of the brain but outside the blood–brain barrier. Plants[edit] Functions[edit]

Science for potheads: Why they love to get high Drug warriors have long tried to smear marijuana as a dangerous scourge, seeking to criminalize possession of a leaf they clearly do not understand. The key to comprehending its effects is by better grasping our physiology. Marijuana is not magic. Marijuana (botanical name, cannabis) affects the human body because the plant-based cannabinoids in marijuana, once ingested, can “plug into” the cannabinoid receptors that are used by the cannabinoids made by our own bodies. It’s not just people that have cannabinoid systems. Evolution has selected for cannabinoid systems, meaning once they emerged, they were retained, and broadly adopted. The cannabinoid receptor seems to have first appeared approximately 600 million years ago in sea squirts. A sea squirt is a tunicate, and tunicates contain a host of potentially useful chemical compounds that are effective against various types of cancer. Could that underlying mechanism allowing for “reprogramming” involve the cannabinoid system?

Serotonin Serotonin /ˌsɛrəˈtoʊnɨn/ or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) is a monoamine neurotransmitter. Biochemically derived from tryptophan, serotonin is primarily found in the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract), platelets, and the central nervous system (CNS) of animals, including humans. It is popularly thought to be a contributor to feelings of well-being and happiness.[6] Serotonin secreted from the enterochromaffin cells eventually finds its way out of tissues into the blood. In addition to animals, serotonin is found in fungi and plants.[10] Serotonin's presence in insect venoms and plant spines serves to cause pain, which is a side-effect of serotonin injection. Functions[edit] Receptors[edit] Gauge of food availability (appetite)[edit] Serotonin functions as a neurotransmitter in the nervous systems of simple, as well as complex, animals. When humans smell food, dopamine is released to increase the appetite. Effects of food content[edit] In the digestive tract (emetic)[edit] [edit]

Tryptophan Tryptophan (IUPAC-IUBMB abbreviation: Trp or W; IUPAC abbreviation: L-Trp or D-Trp; sold for medical use as Tryptan)[2] is one of the 22 standard amino acids and an essential amino acid in the human diet, as demonstrated by its growth effects on rats. It is encoded in the standard genetic code as the codon UGG. Only the L-stereoisomer of tryptophan is used in structural or enzyme proteins, but the R -stereoisomer is occasionally found in naturally produced peptides (for example, the marine venom peptide contryphan).[3] The distinguishing structural characteristic of tryptophan is that it contains an indole functional group. Isolation[edit] The isolation of tryptophan was first reported by Frederick Hopkins in 1901[4] through hydrolysis of casein. From 600 grams of crude casein one obtains 4-8 grams of tryptophan.[5] Biosynthesis and industrial production[edit] Function[edit] Metabolism of L-tryptophan into serotonin and melatonin (left) and niacin (right). Dietary sources[edit] [edit]

Harmine Harmine is a fluorescent harmala alkaloid belonging to the beta-carboline family of compounds. It occurs in a number of different plants, most notably the Middle Eastern plant harmal or Syrian rue (Peganum harmala) and the South American vine Banisteriopsis caapi (also known as "yage" or "ayahuasca"). Harmine reversibly inhibits monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A), an enzyme which breaks down monoamines, making it a RIMA. Harmine selectively binds to MAO-A but does not inhibit the variant MAO-B.[5] Uses[edit] Monoamines include neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine), hormones (melatonin, epinephrine, norepinephrine) and psychedelic drugs (psilocybin, DMT and mescaline). P. harmala and B. caapi are both traditionally used for their psychoactive effects. Harmine is also a useful fluorescent pH indicator. With the radioisotope carbon-11 harmine is used in positron emission tomography neuroimaging to examine its binding to MAO-A.[6] Anticancer[edit] Adverse effects[edit] Overdosage[edit] See also[edit]

Harmaline Harmaline is a fluorescent psychoactive indole alkaloid from the group of harmala alkaloids and beta-carbolines. It is the reduced hydrogenated form of harmine. Occurrence in nature[edit] Various plants contain harmaline including Peganum harmala (Syrian Rue) as well as the hallucinogenic drink ayahuasca, which is traditionally brewed using Banisteriopsis caapi. Present at 3% by dry weight, the harmala alkaloids may be extracted from the Syrian Rue seeds.[1] Effects[edit] Harmaline is a central nervous system stimulant and a "reversible inhibitor of MAO-A (RIMA)".[2] This means that the risk of a hypertensive crisis, a dangerous high blood pressure crisis from eating tyramine-rich foods such as cheese, is likely lower with harmaline than with irreversible MAOIs such as phenelzine. United States Patent Number 5591738 describes a method for treating various chemical dependencies via the administration of harmaline and or other beta-carbolines.[6] See also[edit] References[edit]