Harmala Alkaloid - Uses

Uses

As mentioned above, some harmala alkaloids can be used as an MAOI (MonoAmine Oxidase Inhibitor) to facilitate the ingestion of DMT and other tryptamines; while not generally used as a hallucinogen alone, there are reports of such use. In high doses, it acts as purgative. Harmala alkaloids from Banisteriopsis caapi have been used to treat Parkinson's disease. As a benzodiazepine site inverse agonist, harmala alkaloids are used as a model for Essential Tremor (ET) when injected to animals. Rats being treated with harmaline exhibit severe tremors after 5–7 minutes. Individuals diagnosed with Essential Tremor have been found to have elevated blood levels of harmala alkaloids.

It is important to note that unlike many synthetic pharmaceutical MAOIs such as phenelzine, harmine is reversible and selective meaning it does not have nearly as high a risk for the "cheese syndrome" caused by consuming tyramine-containing foods, which is a risk associated with monoamine oxidase A inhibitors, but not monoamine oxidase B inhibitors. It should be said that both MAO-A and MAO-B break down tyramine, but large doses of harmala alkaloids begin to affect MAO-B as well.