Bufotenin
| Bufotenin |
|---|
| Formula | C12H16N2O |
| Molecular mass | 204.27 g/mol |
| SMILES | CN(C)CCC1=CNC2=C1C=C(O)C=C2 |
 | The chemical structure of bufotenin |
|
Bufotenin, also spelled
bufotenine, is also known under the names 5-
hydroxy-
DMT (5-OH-DMT) or dimethyl-
serotonin and is a
tryptamine related to the
neurotransmitter serotonin. It is an
alkaloid found in many plants; it was originally isolated from the secretions of
toads (
bufotoxin), most notably
Bufo alvarius, from where it derives the name
Bufotenin. Bufotenin is an
hallucinogenic compound.
Bufotenin's relation to the toad
Bufo alvarius (otherwise known as the
Colorado River toad, or Sonoran Desert toad) has led to the use of this toads' venom for recreational purposes. The venom has also been declared a sacrament by the
Church of the Toad of Light in the US. Although this venom is usually smoked, media attention led to the phenomenon of
toad licking. Some severe poisonings were recorded after some
toad-lickers mistakenly used
Bufo marinus (Common Cane Toad) and other species for this purpose. The venom of
B. marinus contains Bufotenin alongside powerful heart
steroids, the use of which can lead to heart attacks and death.
Bufotenin is also the primary constituent of Cebil and
Vilca snuffs, made from beans of the
Anadenanthera colubrina tree, and used by some tribes of the Amazon. These snuffs are closely related to
Yopo and
Cohoba snuffs, made from the beans of
Anadenanthera peregrina, which also contain Bufotenin and related compounds. Cohoba was also used by the tribe who greeted Columbus to the New World, the
Taino of
Cuba and
Hispaniola. The use of Cohoba snuffs has been documented in the archaeological record for thousands of years, and it has the longest recorded continuous use of any psychoactive plant in the world.
"Pharmanopo-psychonautics: human intranasal, sublingual, intrarectal, pulmonary and oral pharmacology of bufotenine" by J. Ott in
J. Psychoactive Drugs 33(3):273-281 (2001)*
Erowid's Bufotenin Vault*
The Preparation of Anadenanthera Snuffs (Plot55.com)*
Growing Anadenanthera colubrina (Plot55.com)*
TiHKAL entry on Bufotenin
