Alkaloids
The active alkaloids of harmal seeds are the MAOI-A (monoamine oxidase inhibitor A) compounds:
- Harmane, 0.16%
- Harmine, 0.44%–1.84%–4.3%
- The coatings of the seeds are said to contain large amounts of harmine.
- Harmaline, 0.25%–0.79%–5.6%
- Harmalol, 0.6%–3.90%
- Tetrahydroharmine, 0.1%
- Total harmala alkaloids were at least 5.9% of dried weight, in one study.
- Vasicine (peganine), 0.25%
- Vasicinone, 0.0007%
The stems of the plant contain about 0.36% alkaloids, the leaves about 0.52%, and the roots up to 2.5%.
Harmine and harmaline are reversible inhibitors of MAO-A (RIMA).
Read more about this topic: Peganum Harmala
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