Virola snuff

In both Anadenanthera and Virola snuffs, the active principles are indolic alkaloids, either "open-chained or "closed-ring tryptamines. The "closed-ring group will be covered in the next chapter. The "open-chained group includes DMT and 5-methoxy-DMT, as well as bufotenine (which at present appears to be non-psychoactive). DMT predominates in the species Virola calophylla, but in other species the greatest psychic contribution comes from the very short-acting 5-methoxy-DMT. 

Trace amounts of the "open-chained DMT-N-oxide and 5-hydroxy-DMT-N-oxide, as well as "closed-ring tryptamines 2-methyl- and 1,2-dimethyl-6-methoxytetrahydro- /3 -carboline, are present in both Anadenanthera and Virola snuffs, adding somewhat to their effects. Virolas also contain small quantities of 6-methoxy-DMT and monoethyltryptamine. 

HT-R agonist [hallucinogenic, hypertensive, sheep Phalaris staggers, Virola snuff... 

Eb6na Virola theiodora Inner bark Several tryptamines, including the most potent hallucinogen known from nature 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine Snuff Hallucinogenic Yamomami Amazon basin... 

EXTENSIONS AND COMMENTARY N-Methyltryptamine (monomethyltryptamine, NMT) is an alkaloid that has been found in the bark, shoots and leaves of several species of Virola, Acacia and Mimosa. However, the major snuffs associated with these plant have been shown to also contain 5-MeO-DMT and are discussed there. NMT has been synthesized in a number of ways. One can react 3-(2-bromoethyl)indole with methylamine. NMT can be isolated as the benzoyl derivative from the methylation of tryptamine with methyl iodide followed by reaction with benzoyl chloride, with the hydrolysis of this amide with alcoholic KOH. It can also be synthesized from indole with oxalyl chloride, with the resulting glyoxyl chloride reacting with methylamine in ether to give indol-3-yl N-methylglyoxalylamide (mp 223-224 °C from IPA) which is obtained in a 68% yield, which is reduced to NMT to give the amine hydrochloride (mp 175-177 °C from ) in a 75% yield. The most simple and direct synthesis is the formamide reduction given above. 

DMT, or N,N-dimethyltryptamine, is a hallucinogenic chemical found in a variety of natural and synthetic compounds. It is present in many plant genera Acacia, Anadenanthera, Mimosa, Piptadenia, Virola) and is a major component of several hallucinogenic snuffs (cohoba, parica, yopo). DMT is also present in the intoxicating beverage ayahuasca, which is made from Banis-teriopsis caapi plants. 

Material Indole-based alkaloid found in seeds, pods, bark, and resins of several South American trees, including Piptadenia peregrina and Virola calophylla, used in the snuffs yopo, epena, and parica. 

In 1954, Stomberg isolated 5-methoxy-DMT from seeds of A. pere-grina. Later, DMT, DMT-N-oxide and 5-hydroxy-DMT-N-oxide were also found in A. peregrma. Additional components contributing to psychoactivity have been identified these also appear in about the same proportions in the Virola species used to make paricd. However, a Waikd snuff made from V. theiodora resin has an unusually high alkaloid content of up to 11 percent, consisting mainly of 5-methoxy-DMT (8 percent) and substantial amounts of DMT. 

Some Indian tribes, particularly those among the Waikfs, use psychoactive snuffs in what Schultes and Hofmann refer to as "frighteningly excessive amounts. Virola resins with a DMT content as high as 11 percent are routinely ingested in quantities as large as two or three teaspoonfuls. 

As for epend snuff, they declare that this "was employed ritualistically for diagnosis and treatment of disease, prophecy, divination, and other magico-religious purposes. Indians under the effects of this Virola resin... 

Most psychoactive drugs come from plants, and there are hundreds of plants with psychoactive properties. People have put most of them to use in one part of the world or another at one time or another. Often drug plants taste bad, are weak, or have unwanted side effects. Traditional peoples who use these plants, such as Native Americans, have come up with clever ways of preparing and ingesting them to maximize the desired effects or make them easier to take. Traditional peoples do not tamper with the chemical composition of the plants, however. For example, South American Indians have found that drying coca leaves and mixing them with ashes or other alkalis increases their stimulant effect. They have also learned to make a powerful snuff from the resin of the virola tree (a DMT-containing plant) in order to take... 

Less information is available about the other serotonergic hallucinogens, but most are similar. One noteworthy exception is dimethyltryptamine (DMT), which is usually taken by using the bark of the Virola as a snuff or by smoking it. Its effects begin within minutes of use but persist for only about 60 minutes (Dal Cason Franzosa, 2003). 

As well as known 5-oxytryptamine typ>es, Virola species, used in the preparation of intoxicating snuffs, contain 6-methoxy-2-methyl-l,2,3,4-tetrahydro-/5-carboline and 6-methoxy-l,2-dimethyl-l,2,3,4-tetrahydro-)8-carboline. An isomer of this last alkaloid, 6-methoxy-2,9-dimethyl-l,2,3,4-tetrahydro-)8-carboline, has been isolated from Phalaris arundinacea. 

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