Harmine Properties

Description

Harmine is a fluorescent harmala alkaloid belonging to the beta-carboline family of compounds. It occurs in a number of different plants, most notably the Middle Eastern plant harmal or Syrian rue and the South American vine Banisteriopsis caapi. It is a RIMA, a reversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A), an enzyme which breaks down monoamines. It selectively binds to MAO-A but does not inhibit the variant MAO-B. MAOIs have been used to treat depression since they inhibit the breakdown of serotonin and norepinephrine, two neurotransmitters that have a role in the pathophysiology of clinical depression, suggesting that harmine may have antidepressant effect. It is a useful fluorescent pH indicator. As the pH of its local environment increases, the fluorescence emission of harmine decreases. With the radioisotope carbon-11 harmine is used in positron emission tomography neuroimaging to examine its binding to MAO-A. Harmine found in root secretions of Oxalis tuberosa has been found to have insecticidal properties.