Concise synthesis of N,N-dimethyltryptamine and 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine starting with bufotenine from Brazilian Anadenanthera ssp..

Abstract

Bufotenine (1, 5-hydroxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine) was isolated from seeds of Anadenanthera spp., a tree widespread in the Brazilian cerrado, using an efficient acid-base shakeout protocol. The conversion of bufotenine into N,N-dimethyltryptamine (4) and 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5) was accomplished through an innovative and short approach featuring the use of novel bufotenine-aminoborane complex (7). Furthermore, an easy methodology for conversion of bufotenine into 5-hydroxy-N,N,N-trimethyltryptamine (6) was well-established. This is the first study that highlights bufotenine as a resource for the production of N,N-dimethyltryptamines for either pharmacological and toxicological investigations or for synthetic purposes.

Moreira, L. A., Murta, M. M., Gatto, C. C., Fagg, C. W., & dos Santos, M. L. (2015). Concise synthesis of N, N-dimethyltryptamine and 5-methoxy-N, N-dimethyltryptamine starting with bufotenine from Brazilian Anadenanthera ssp.. Natural product communications, 10(4), 581-584.
Link to full text