Tryptamine is a monoamine alkaloid found in plants, fungi, and animals. It contains an indole ring structure, and is structurally similar to the amino acid tryptophan, from which it derives its name. Tryptamine is found in trace amounts in the brains of mammals and is believed to play a role as a neuromodulator or neurotransmitter.
The tryptamine chemical structure is the backbone for a group of compounds termed collectively substituted tryptamines. This group includes many biologically active compounds, including neurotransmitters and psychedelic drugs.
The concentration of tryptamine in rat brains is about 3.5 pmol/g.
§Plants containing tryptamine
Many plants contain small amounts of tryptamine, for example, as a possible intermediate in one biosynthetic pathway to the plant hormone indole-3-acetic acid. Higher concentrations can be found in many Acacia species.
<h2>§Role in vertebratesTryptamine acts as a non-selective serotonin receptor agonist and serotonin-norepinephrine-dopamine releasing agent (SNDRA), with a preference for evoking serotonin and dopamine release over norepinephrine release. It is rapidly metabolized by MAO-A and MAO-B, and for this reason, has a very short in vivo half-life.
Tryptamine has also been observed to be a noncompetitive inhibitor of serotonin N-acetyltransferase (SNAT) in mosquitoes. SNAT catalyzes the anabolic metabolism of serotonin into N-acetylserotonin, another neuromodulator and the immediate precursor for melatonin.
§Synthesis
The Abramovitchâ€"Shapiro tryptamine synthesis is an organic reaction for the synthesis of tryptamines.
§See also
- Phenethylamine
§References
§External links
- Tryptamine FAQ
- Tryptamine Hallucinogens and Consciousness
- Tryptamind Psychoactives, reference site on tryptamine and other psychoactives.
- Tryptamine (T) entry in TiHKAL • info