Pre-clinical interaction of ayahuasca, a brew used in spiritual movements, with morphine and propofol

Júlia Movilla Pires,Ana Paula Salum Pires,Maurício Yonamine,José Luiz Gomes Do Amaral,Elisaldo Araújo Carlini,Fúlvio Rieli Mendes

doi:10.1590/s2175-97902018000117174

Abstract

Ayahuasca is a beverage with psychoactive properties used in religious and ceremonial rituals by some religious groups. The main active components of ayahuasca are dimethyltryptamine and the harmala alkaloids with β-carboline structure acting as monoamine oxidase A inhibitors. This combination produces a pronounced activation of serotonergic pathways and presents potential interaction with other psychotropics. The objective of this study was to investigate the possible interactions between ayahuasca and agents employed in general anesthesia. The pharmacological interactions between ayahuasca and morphine or propofol were evaluated in mice using doses of 12, 120 and 1200 mg/kg (0.1 to 10 times the average dose consumed by humans in religious rituals). Ayahuasca alone showed an antinociceptive effect in the writhing and formalin tests, and intensified the analgesic effect of morphine in the hot plate test. Concerning the pharmacological interactions between ayahuasca and propofol, the results were opposite; ayahuasca intensified the depressant effect of propofol in the rotarod test, but decreased the sleeping time induced by propofol. These set of results showed the occurrence of some interactions between ayahuasca and the drugs morphine and propofol, possibly by both pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics mechanisms.

Highlights

Ayahuasca is a beverage with psychoactive properties prepared by decoction of two Amazonian plants, the vine of Banisteriopsis caapi (Spruce ex Griseb.) CV Morton (Malpighiaceae) and the leaves of Psychotria viridis (Ruiz & Pav.) (Rubiaceae) utilized in ceremonial contexts of groups like Santo Daime, União do Vegetal, among others
The main active components of ayahuasca are N,Ndimethyltryptamine (DMT) and the harmala alkaloids with β-carboline structure, harmine, harmaline, tetrahydroharmine (THH), and harmol, as well harmalol in trace amounts (Callaway, Brito, Neves, 2005)
DMT is present in the leaves of P. viridis and, when taken orally, it is rapidly inactivated by monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) in the bowel and liver, which is avoided with the combination of β-carbolines present in B. caapi acting as MAO inhibitors (MAOI) (McKenna, Towers, Abbott, 1984)

Summary

Introduction

Ayahuasca is a beverage with psychoactive properties prepared by decoction of two Amazonian plants, the vine of Banisteriopsis caapi (Spruce ex Griseb.) CV Morton (Malpighiaceae) and the leaves of Psychotria viridis (Ruiz & Pav.) (Rubiaceae) utilized in ceremonial contexts of groups like Santo Daime, União do Vegetal, among others. Participants generally meet two to three times per month for the realization of a religious cult and they consume one or two cups of ayahuasca brew at the beginning of the ritual, but the amount of ayahuasca taken in a session may vary among. DMT is present in the leaves of P. viridis and, when taken orally, it is rapidly inactivated by monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) in the bowel and liver, which is avoided with the combination of β-carbolines present in B. caapi acting as MAO inhibitors (MAOI) (McKenna, Towers, Abbott, 1984).

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