DMPEA
Encyclopedia
3,4-Dimethoxyphenethylamine (DMPEA) is a chemical compound
of the phenethylamine
class. It is an analogue of dopamine
where the 3- and 4-position hydroxy
group
s have been replaced with methoxy
groups. It is also closely related to mescaline
which is 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine.
DMPEA was first synthesized and assayed by Alexander Shulgin
. In his book PiHKAL
, he describes DMPEA as producing no effects when tested even with very high doses, such as 1,000 mg orally or 10 mg via intravenous injection. As a result, it can be assumed that it is biologically inactive. However, it has been shown to have some activity as a monoamine oxidase inhibitor
.
DMPEA occurs naturally
along with mescaline
in various species of cacti
such as San Pedro
and Peruvian Torch.
Chemical compound
A chemical compound is a pure chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical elements that can be separated into simpler substances by chemical reactions. Chemical compounds have a unique and defined chemical structure; they consist of a fixed ratio of atoms that are held together...
of the phenethylamine
Substituted phenethylamine
The substituted phenethylamines are chemical compounds with the 2-phenethylamine chemical structure modified at the phenyl ring, sidechain, and/or amino group. Some of them are psychoactive drugs, including stimulants, psychedelics, opioids, and entactogens, which exert their effects primarily...
class. It is an analogue of dopamine
Dopamine
Dopamine is a catecholamine neurotransmitter present in a wide variety of animals, including both vertebrates and invertebrates. In the brain, this substituted phenethylamine functions as a neurotransmitter, activating the five known types of dopamine receptors—D1, D2, D3, D4, and D5—and their...
where the 3- and 4-position hydroxy
Hydroxyl
A hydroxyl is a chemical group containing an oxygen atom covalently bonded with a hydrogen atom. In inorganic chemistry, the hydroxyl group is known as the hydroxide ion, and scientists and reference works generally use these different terms though they refer to the same chemical structure in...
group
Functional group
In organic chemistry, functional groups are specific groups of atoms within molecules that are responsible for the characteristic chemical reactions of those molecules. The same functional group will undergo the same or similar chemical reaction regardless of the size of the molecule it is a part of...
s have been replaced with methoxy
Methoxy
In chemistry , methoxy refers to the functional group consisting of a methyl group bound to oxygen. This alkoxy group has the formula O–CH3.The word is used in organic nomenclature usually to describe an ether...
groups. It is also closely related to mescaline
Mescaline
Mescaline or 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine is a naturally occurring psychedelic alkaloid of the phenethylamine class used mainly as an entheogen....
which is 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine.
DMPEA was first synthesized and assayed by Alexander Shulgin
Alexander Shulgin
Alexander "Sasha" Theodore Shulgin is an American pharmacologist, chemist, artist, and drug developer.Shulgin is credited with the popularization of MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, especially for psychopharmaceutical use and the treatment of depression and...
. In his book PiHKAL
PiHKAL
PiHKAL: A Chemical Love Story is a book by Dr. Alexander Shulgin and Ann Shulgin which was published in 1991. The subject of the work is psychoactive phenethylamine chemical derivatives, notably those that act as psychedelics and/or empathogen-entactogens...
, he describes DMPEA as producing no effects when tested even with very high doses, such as 1,000 mg orally or 10 mg via intravenous injection. As a result, it can be assumed that it is biologically inactive. However, it has been shown to have some activity as a monoamine oxidase inhibitor
Monoamine oxidase inhibitor
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors are a class of antidepressant drugs prescribed for the treatment of depression. They are particularly effective in treating atypical depression....
.
DMPEA occurs naturally
Natural product
A natural product is a chemical compound or substance produced by a living organism - found in nature that usually has a pharmacological or biological activity for use in pharmaceutical drug discovery and drug design...
along with mescaline
Mescaline
Mescaline or 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine is a naturally occurring psychedelic alkaloid of the phenethylamine class used mainly as an entheogen....
in various species of cacti
Cacti
-See also:* RRDtool The underlying software upon which Cacti is built* MRTG The original Multi Router Traffic Grapher from which RRDtool was "extracted".* Munin -External links:******...
such as San Pedro
Echinopsis pachanoi
The San Pedro cactus is a fast-growing columnar cactus native to the Andes Mountains of Peru between 2000–3000 m in altitude. It is also found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Ecuador, and it is cultivated in other parts of the world...
and Peruvian Torch.