pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Psychoactive Substances of Natural Origin: Toxicological Aspects, Therapeutic Properties and Analysis in Biological Samples - PubMed

️Fri Jan 01 2021

Review

Psychoactive Substances of Natural Origin: Toxicological Aspects, Therapeutic Properties and Analysis in Biological Samples

Joana Gonçalves et al. Molecules. 2021.

Abstract

The consumption of new psychoactive substances (NPSs) has been increasing, and this problem affects several countries worldwide. There is a class of NPSs of natural origin, consisting of plants and fungi, which have a wide range of alkaloids, responsible for causing relaxing, stimulating or hallucinogenic effects. The consumption of some of these substances is prompted by religious beliefs and cultural reasons, making the legislation very variable or even ambiguous. However, the abusive consumption of these substances can present an enormous risk to the health of the individuals, since their metabolism and effects are not yet fully known. Additionally, NPSs are widely spread over the internet, and their appearance is very fast, which requires the development of sophisticated analytical methodologies, capable of detecting these compounds. Thus, the objective of this work is to review the toxicological aspects, traditional use/therapeutic potential and the analytical methods developed in biological matrices in twelve plant specimens (Areca catechu, Argyreia nervosa, Ayahuasca, Catha edulis, Datura stramonium, Lophophora williamsii, Mandragora officinarum, Mitragyna speciosa, Piper methysticum Forst, Psilocybe, Salvia divinorum and Tabernanthe iboga).

Keywords: NPS of natural origin; analytical methodologies; psychoactive effects; toxicological aspects; traditional uses.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

**Figure 1**
*A. catechu* (A) and the main compound arecoline (B).

**Figure 2**
*Argyreia nervosa* (A) and the main compounds isoergine (B) and lysergamide (LSA) (C).

**Figure 3**
Ayahuasca decoction (A); *Banisteriopsis caapi* stem shavings and *Psychotria viridis* leaves used in the preparation of the Ayahuasca beverage (B); main compounds present in Ayahuasca: DMT (C), Harmine (D), Harmaline (E) and THH (F).

**Figure 4**
*C. edulis* (A) and the main compounds S-(−)-cathinone (B), cathine ([S,S-(+)-norpseudoephedrine]) (C) and phenylpropanolamine (D).

**Figure 5**
*Datura stramonium* (A) and the main compounds scopolamine (B) and atropine (C).

**Figure 6**
*M. officinarum* (A) and the main compounds hyoscyamine (B), atropine (C) and scopolamine (D).

**Figure 7**
*Lophophora williamsii* (A) and the main compound mescaline (B).

**Figure 8**
*M. speciosa* (A) and the main compounds mitragynine (B) and 7-hydroxymitragynine (C).

**Figure 9**
*P. methysticum* (A) and the main compounds kavain (B) and yangonin (C).

**Figure 10**
*Psilocybe* mushrooms (A) and the main compounds psilocybin (B) and psilocin (C).

**Figure 11**
*S. divinorum* (A) and the main compounds salvinorin A (B) and salvinorin B (C).

**Figure 12**
*Tabernanthe iboga* (A) and the main compound ibogaine (B).

Cited by

The Role of Ayahuasca in Colorectal Adenocarcinoma Cell Survival, Proliferation and Oxidative Stress.
Gonçalves J, Feijó M, Socorro S, Luís Â, Gallardo E, Duarte AP. Gonçalves J, et al. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2024 Jun 2;17(6):719. doi: 10.3390/ph17060719. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2024. PMID: 38931386 Free PMC article.
Interpol Review of Drug Analysis 2019-2022.
Love D, Jones NS. Love D, et al. Forensic Sci Int Synerg. 2023 Jan 5;6:100299. doi: 10.1016/j.fsisyn.2022.100299. eCollection 2023. Forensic Sci Int Synerg. 2023. PMID: 36655023 Free PMC article. Review. No abstract available.
A Systematic Review on the Therapeutic Effects of Ayahuasca.
Gonçalves J, Luís Â, Gallardo E, Duarte AP. Gonçalves J, et al. Plants (Basel). 2023 Jul 7;12(13):2573. doi: 10.3390/plants12132573. Plants (Basel). 2023. PMID: 37447135 Free PMC article. Review.
In Vitro Study of the Bioavailability and Bioaccessibility of the Main Compounds Present in Ayahuasca Beverages.
Gonçalves J, Castilho M, Rosado T, Luís Â, Restolho J, Fernández N, Gallardo E, Duarte AP. Gonçalves J, et al. Molecules. 2021 Sep 13;26(18):5555. doi: 10.3390/molecules26185555. Molecules. 2021. PMID: 34577025 Free PMC article.
An Update on the Implications of New Psychoactive Substances in Public Health.
Simão AY, Antunes M, Cabral E, Oliveira P, Rosendo LM, Brinca AT, Alves E, Marques H, Rosado T, Passarinha LA, Andraus M, Barroso M, Gallardo E. Simão AY, et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Apr 17;19(8):4869. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19084869. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022. PMID: 35457736 Free PMC article. Review.

References

1. European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction . EU Drug Markets Report 2019. Publications Office of the European Union; Luxembourg: 2019. pp. 1–260. - DOI
1. Simão A.Y., Antunes M., Marques H., Rosado T., Soares S., Gonçalves J., Barroso M., Andraus M., Gallardo E. Recent bionalytical methods for the determination of new psychoactive substances in biological specimens. Bioanalysis. 2020;12:1557–1595. doi: 10.4155/bio-2020-0148. - DOI - PubMed
1. Lo Faro A.F., Di Trana A., La Maida N., Tagliabracci A., Giorgetti R., Busardò F.P. Biomedical analysis of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) of natural origin. J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal. 2020;179:112945. doi: 10.1016/j.jpba.2019.112945. - DOI - PubMed
1. Guirguis A. New psychoactive substances: A public health issue. Int. J. Pharm. Practice. 2017;25:323–325. doi: 10.1111/ijpp.12313. - DOI - PubMed
1. Salomone A., Palamar J.J., Gerace E., Di Corcia D., Vincenti M. Hair testing for drugs of abuse and new psychoactive substances in a high-risk population. J. Anal. Toxicol. 2017;41:376–381. doi: 10.1093/jat/bkx020. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Psychoactive Substances of Natural Origin: Toxicological Aspects, Therapeutic Properties and Analysis in Biological Samples - PubMed