Substituted phenethylamines (or simply phenethylamines) are organic compounds which may be thought of as being derived from phenethylamine itself. The molecular structures of all phenethylamines contain a phenyl ring, joined to an amino (NH2) group via an ethyl (âˆ'CH2â€"CH2âˆ') sidechain. In substituted phenethylamines, the phenyl ring, sidechain and/or amino group are modified by substituting another group for one of the hydrogen (H) atoms.
Some are psychoactive drugs, including stimulants, psychedelics, and entactogens, which exert their effects primarily through modulation of the monoamine neurotransmitter systems. Others, such as dopamine and epinephrine are neurotransmitters. The substituted phenethylamines include the substituted amphetamines, the substituted methylenedioxyphenethylamines and a large group of alkaloids derived from phenethylamines. This includes tetrahydroisoquinolines, benzylisoquinolines, protoberberines, aporphines, morphinans, protopines and narcotine.p. 74
Substituted phenethylamines include a wide variety of drug classes. This includes but is not limited to psychotropic drugs (including hallucinogens such as dl-2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine a.k.a. DOM), central nervous system stimulants (e.g. amphetamine), appetite depressants (e.g. phentermine), antilipemic agents, vasoconstrictors (including nasal decongestants such as levomethamphetamine and pseudoephedrine), bronchodilators, cardiotonic agents, vasodilators, calcium channel blockers, antidepressants (e.g. bupropion, phenelzine, and tranylcypromine), neuroprotective agents and Antiparkinson agents.
Substituted phenethylamines are known to act as adrenergic agents (including adrenergic uptake inhibitors such as methamphetamine, adrenergic beta-agonists like methoxyphenamine and the adrenergic alpha-agonist mephentermine), antilipemic agents (e.g. benfluorex), dopamine agents (including dopamine uptake inhibitors such as bupropion), serotonin agents (including serotonin agonists such as 2,5-dimethoxy-4-bromoamphetamine and the serotonin uptake inhibitor fenfluramine), calcium channel blockers (e.g. prenylamine and verapamil) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (e.g. selegiline).
List of substituted phenethylamines
See also
- Substituted amphetamines
- Substituted methylenedioxyphenethylamines
- Substituted cathinones
- 2Cs and DOx
- Substituted tryptamines