1H nuclear magnetic resonance: a future approach to the metabolic profiling of psychedelics in human biofluids?
File(s)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Vilca-Melendez, Sylvana
Uthaug, Malin
Griffin, Julian
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
While psychedelics may have therapeutic potential for treating mental health disorders such as depression, further research is needed to better understand their biological effects and mechanisms of action when considering the development of future novel therapy approaches. Psychedelic research could potentially benefit from the integration of metabonomics by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy, an analytical chemistry-based approach that can measure the breakdown of drugs into their metabolites and their metabolic consequences from various biofluids. We have performed a systematic review of the literature to assess the use of 1H NMR spectroscopy-based metabolomics as a tool in psychedelic research.
After exploring previously published literature where 1H NMR had analysed psychedelic substances including psilocin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), LSD derivatives, N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) and bufotenin, we found that the main use of 1H NMR to date has been for the structural elucidation and analytical characterisation of psychedelic molecules and that no papers used 1H NMR in the metabolic profiling of biofluids, thus exposing a current research gap and the underuse of 1H NMR. The efficacy of 1H NMR spectroscopy was also compared to mass spectrometry, where both metabonomics techniques have previously shown to be appropriate for biofluid analysis in other applications. Additionally, potential future directions for psychedelic research were identified as real-time NMR, in vivo 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and 1H NMR studies of the gut microbiome. Further psychedelic studies need to be conducted that incorporate the use of 1H NMR spectroscopy in the analysis of metabolites both in the peripheral biofluids and CNS to determine whether it will be an effective future approach for clinical and naturalistic research.
After exploring previously published literature where 1H NMR had analysed psychedelic substances including psilocin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), LSD derivatives, N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) and bufotenin, we found that the main use of 1H NMR to date has been for the structural elucidation and analytical characterisation of psychedelic molecules and that no papers used 1H NMR in the metabolic profiling of biofluids, thus exposing a current research gap and the underuse of 1H NMR. The efficacy of 1H NMR spectroscopy was also compared to mass spectrometry, where both metabonomics techniques have previously shown to be appropriate for biofluid analysis in other applications. Additionally, potential future directions for psychedelic research were identified as real-time NMR, in vivo 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and 1H NMR studies of the gut microbiome. Further psychedelic studies need to be conducted that incorporate the use of 1H NMR spectroscopy in the analysis of metabolites both in the peripheral biofluids and CNS to determine whether it will be an effective future approach for clinical and naturalistic research.
Date Issued
2021-12-13
Date Acceptance
2021-11-18
Citation
Frontiers in Psychiatry Psychpharmacology, 2021, 12
ISSN
1664-0640
Publisher
Frontiers Media
Journal / Book Title
Frontiers in Psychiatry Psychpharmacology
Volume
12
License URL
Sponsor
Medical Research Council
Medical Research Council (MRC)
Medical Research Council (MRC)
UK DRI Ltd
Identifier
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.742856/full
Grant Number
MR/P011705/1
MR/S010483/1
MR/P011705/2
N/A
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Psychiatry
psychedelics
metabolomics
proton nuclear magnetic resonance
mass spectrometry
liquid chromatography
psilocybin
LSD
new psychoactive substances
LIFE-THREATENING CANCER
NMR-BASED METABOLOMICS
ACID DIETHYLAMIDE
H-1-NMR SPECTROSCOPY
DRUG DISCOVERY
GUT MICROBIOTA
BEHAVIORAL CHARACTERIZATION
HIGH-RESOLUTION
HUMAN URINE
HUMAN BRAIN
LSD
liquid chromatography
mass spectrometry
metabolomics
new psychoactive substances
proton nuclear magnetic resonance
psilocybin
psychedelics
1103 Clinical Sciences
1117 Public Health and Health Services
1701 Psychology
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2021-11-30