Black Currants as an MAOI - Urban Legend?

[Hughes DePayne]

This issue has been covered in other esoteric/psychedelic web venues to some extent, but with only the ordinary sort of anecdotal evidence posted. The question arose - for me - on another thread hereabouts, and I gave my own account of using black currants as an OTC MAOI to potentiate a mushroom trip. However, the validity of the black currant as a viable MAOI source was called - rightly - into question. And I then wondered if black currants should, in fact, be lumped into the same Urban Legend "potentiating" category alongside lemon juice, vitamin C, and Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon". So I looked up all I could find...

Disclaimer: I am NOT a proponent of potentiating, in general. I am only botanically curious about the possibility of black currant as a ready-to-hand MAOI when other sources aren't available. Too - psilocybin/psilocin is *already* orally active - so shouldn't, then, be subject to monoamine oxidase "interference", in the gut.

The research I found available online is from 1991, performed by Merz and Co GMBH, a German company who was considerate enough to apply for a Canadian patent for some 'elixir du longue vie' or other (my term), and included their research on the subject of black currants (Ribes nigrum) as an MAOI. Short version of their salient study results:

In Vitro: "The black currant concentrate effects a 61% inhibition of MAO Type B, and an 37% inhibition of MAO Type A" [Page 7, Line 23-24]
In Humans: "MAO Type B activity is inhibited in all three subjects with dependency on dosage and time. Maximum inhibition is obtained 60 minutes after application, and is between 70 and 90% at optimum dosage of 20 grams." [Page 8, Line 2-8]

Other tests give a fairly cool description of implanting probes into rat brains and then torquing around with their sleep cycle...and these tests - AFAIK - haven't been duplicated/published.

The full pdf report is here: http://patents.ic.gc.ca/cipo/cpd/en/patent/2077589/page/2077589_20040222_description.pdf

I do not posit that - on the basis of that research - ayahuasca analogs of the future will incorporate a cassis slurry in place of the normal harmala alkaloids customarily utilized...but mmmm - the brew sure might taste better! :D


Just wanted to share this info with kind-minded folk...apologies if it's already widely known.

Be Careful Out There!

[cereus]

I have not herd about black currants as an maoi but have herd the same about other things such as grape fruit, licorice root, cacao beens and saint Johns wort. but as far as I know non of them inhibit the mao enzyme enough to potentiate anything at least not enough to make dmt orally active. and as you know there is several different types of mao receptors and there is one specific mao receptor that needs to be inhibited to make dmt orally active. as for mushrooms I think some discernible effect can be noticed with use of an mild maoi, but I do not know for sure. But this is an interesting field as there is no shortage of dmt containing plants around the globe, but potent maois is seldom found in plants in temperate climates.

[max_freakout]

ive been googling for info about this and it all seems a bit hazy, there is no really reliable source of information saying that blackcurrant is an MAOI, but otoh there are a few places like forums etc where this claim is made

it doesnt seem likely to me, because it would mean that blackcurrants would be a toxic combination with many foods and drugs, if you took MDMA and enough blackcurrant you could then drop dead from hypertensive crisis

there are weak MAOIs like yohimbe which only just barely inhibit MAO, not even enough to make DMT orally active

there is no shortage of dmt containing plants around the globe, but potent maois is seldom found in plants in temperate climates.

that is very interesting i didnt know that

[Hughes DePayne]

And - too - I neglected to indicate that the "Dark Side of the Moon" potentiating effect only works if you play it at 78 rpm :D

[cereus]

that is very interesting i didnt know that

you know there is plenty of plants or you can easily grow them here if you have the right seed.

Phalaris arundinacea
Phragmites australis
Arundo donax

But I do not know how concentrated the dmt is and I guess it is variable. but the thing is that there grows lots of dmt containing plants both in Norway and I guess in england.
but plants containing an effective maoi is not easy to find here I believe that there should be something out there but I do not know it. and neither is it easy to grow the maoi containing plants that is used now days ( Syrian rue and ayahuaska vine).

when plants are variable in content it takes an skilled plant person to find the right time to harvest and the right dose and recipe to utilise but, I am sure that there should be possible to make an northern version of the ayahuaska brew.