harmala

Harmala refers to *Peganum harmala* (commonly known as Syrian rue or harmal), a perennial herb native to the Mediterranean and East Asia, as well as the beta-carboline alkaloids (such as harmine, harmaline, and harmalol) derived from its seeds. Historically utilized in traditional medicine across the Middle East and Central Asia, harmala is well-characterized for its psychoactive, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. Mechanistically, its primary active constituents act as potent, reversible inhibitors of monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A), which prevents the breakdown of monoamine neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine. Additionally, harmala alkaloids inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and dual specificity tyrosine-phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1A (DYRK1A), contributing to their neuroprotective, cognitive-enhancing, and potential antidiabetic effects. Due to its MAO-inhibiting properties, harmala is also used entheogenically to render other psychoactive substances, such as dimethyltryptamine (DMT), orally active.

Other names

African rueesfandespandharmalharmala alkaloidsPeganum harmalaSyrian ruewild rue