concept

harmine

Also known as: β-carboline harmine

Facts (26)

Sources

Effects of psychedelics on neurogenesis and broader neuroplasticity link.springer.com Springer Dec 19, 2024 23 facts

measurementRats treated with 15 mg/kg of harmine demonstrated a two-fold increase in BDNF levels immediately after the forced swim test, while rats treated with imipramine did not show this increase.

claimQuevedo’s team reported similar antidepressant results in rats after chronic administration of harmine for 14 days.

referenceBrito-da-Costa et al. (2020) analyzed the toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics of Ayahuasca alkaloids, specifically N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), Harmine, Harmaline, and Tetrahydroharmine.

claimIn the Chronic Mild Stress (CMS) model study, BDNF levels were not affected by harmine treatment, a discrepancy from previous findings that may be due to different time-points of sample collection.

claimThe antidepressant action of harmine observed by Liu and colleagues was comparable to the positive control, fluoxetine.

claimHarmine produces antidepressant-like effects via the restoration of astrocytic functions.

measurementMale rats at post-natal day 60 (P60) showed improved performance in the forced swim test, a measure of learned helplessness, after being treated with 10 or 15 mg/kg of harmine one hour prior to the test, while their locomotor activity remained normal.

claimHarmine promotes the survival of newborn cells and prevents the reduction of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) induced by the chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) protocol in mice, according to Liu et al. (2017).

referenceFortunato JJ et al. demonstrated in a 2009 study that acute administration of harmine induces antidepressant-like effects and increases BDNF levels in the rat hippocampus.

measurementIn the Chronic Mild Stress (CMS) model study, harmine treatment reduced blood levels of the stress hormone adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) in mice, while adrenal weight remained similar to that of non-CMS rats.

measurementThe presence of 7.5 µM harmine in the culture medium of human neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) increased cell proliferation by 71.5% in an in-vitro study (Dakic et al. 2016).

measurementLiu and colleagues found that 20 mg/kg of harmine increased BDNF levels in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, as well as glutamate transporter 1 (GLT-1) expression levels in mice.

claimQuevedo’s lab conducted a series of rat experiments revealing the potential antidepressant effects of the harmine alkaloid.

referenceFortunato JJ et al. provided evidence of the antidepressant properties of the β-carboline harmine by observing behavioral and physiological parameters in a chronic mild stress model in rats, published in Brain Research Bulletin in 2010.

claimThe antidepressant improvement in rats treated with harmine was comparable to that produced by the tricyclic antidepressant imipramine.

claimThe administration of L-Alpha-Aminoadipic Acid (L-AAA), an astrocyte-specific gliotoxin, intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v) reverses the protective effects of harmine on glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) reduction in mice subjected to chronic unpredictable stress (CUS), suggesting that harmine's regulatory effects are mediated by astrocytic function (Liu et al. 2017).

claimIn a study using a Chronic Mild Stress (CMS) model of depression, Quevedo’s group administered 15 mg/kg of harmine over a 7-day period and found that harmine-treated mice exhibited less anhedonia.

measurementLiu and colleagues studied the effects of chronic administration of 10 and 20 mg/kg of harmine in mice using a Chronic Unpredictable Stress (CUS) model, reporting a 40% effect favoring antidepressant action across the forced swim test, sucrose preference test, and tail suspension test.

referenceFortunato JJ et al. found that chronic administration of harmine elicits antidepressant-like effects and increases BDNF levels in the rat hippocampus, as reported in a 2010 study in the Journal of Neural Transmission.

claimTreatment with four harmala alkaloids (harman, harmine, tetrahydroharmine, and harmol) at a 1 µM concentration, both acutely (3 days) and chronically (7 days), enhanced proliferation, migration, and differentiation in neurospheres derived from the subgranular zone (SGZ) and subventricular zone (SVZ) of adult mice (Morales-García et al. 2017).

claimThe primary compounds categorized as Harmala alkaloids include harman, harmine, harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine.

claimHarmala alkaloids, specifically harmine and harmaline, demonstrate antidepressant effects in animal models by enhancing neurogenesis.

referenceHarmine stimulates the proliferation of human neural progenitors, as reported in a 2016 study by Dakic et al. published in PeerJ.

Psychedelics, Sociality, and Human Evolution frontiersin.org Frontiers 2 facts

referenceThe people of Iran utilize Peganum harmala (common name: haoma), which contains the psychoactive principles harmine and harman (Flattery and Schwartz, 1989).

referenceThe Tukano people of the Amazon and Orinoco utilize Banisteriopsis caapi and Diplopterys cabrerana (common name: yagé), which contain the psychoactive principles harmine, harmaline, and DMT (Jackson, 1983).

Ancient Roots of Today's Emerging Renaissance in ... link.springer.com Springer 1 fact

claimArtifacts found in a 1,000-year-old ritual bundle from the pre-Inca Tiwanaku civilization contained traces of benzoylecgonine (a cocaine metabolite), bufotenine (an alkaloid in psychedelic snuff), psilocin (the active agent in magic mushrooms), and harmine and dimethyltryptamine (active ingredients in ayahuasca).