Just a guess, but carnivores usually have extra potent stomach acids. Maybe there is a different chemical reaction that activates the ‘DMT’ effect in a different but similar way?
Comment on Animals that use Drugs
flora_explora@beehaw.org 4 weeks ago
How can jaguars consume ayahuasca if it is a beverage containing various ingredients that work together to be potent? What do they actually consume?
Ayahuasca is a hallucinogen commonly made by the prolonged decoction of the stems of the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and the leaves of the Psychotria viridis shrub, although hundreds of species are used in addition or substitution (See “Preparation” below). P. viridis contains N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a highly psychedelic substance. Although orally inactive, B. caapi is rich with harmala alkaloids, such as harmine, harmaline and tetrahydroharmine (THH), which can act as monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOi). This halts the liver and gastrointestinal metabolism of DMT, allowing it to reach the systemic circulation and the brain, where it activates 5-HT1A/2A/2C receptors in frontal and paralimbic areas.
Notyou@sopuli.xyz 4 weeks ago
flora_explora@beehaw.org 4 weeks ago
Apparently the jaguars don’t eat the DMT containing shrub P. viridis, but this other ingredient in ayahuasca called yage (Banisteriopsis caapi) that does not contain DMT (see the other response to my last comment).
Harmine, 0.31–8.43% Harmaline, 0.03–0.83% Tetrahydroharmine, 0.05–2.94% These alkaloids of the beta-carboline class act as monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOIs).
So, no psychoactive substance, right??
Maybe the jaguars are not actually tripping but are just using it for their metabolism?
MAOIs are also used as antidepressants in humans because they inhibit the metabolism of monoamine compounds such as serotonin and norepinephrine.. Maybe the jaguars are going for this?
fossilesque@mander.xyz 4 weeks ago
vice.com/…/here-is-a-jaguar-tripping-on-yage-the-…
flora_explora@beehaw.org 4 weeks ago
Thanks. That was a bit too anecdotal for me so I actually searched around a bit more. Didn’t find much but at least this one review article:
www.thieme-connect.com/…/a-1586-1665.pdf
[…]
Although the presented evidence is again this same short, very heavily edited video of a jaguar supposedly tripping on the yage vine.
And regarding the effect on or the reasons of the jaguar, we apparently don’t know and how could we, if all the evidence is this one short clip already suggesting what it is doing? Not very satisfying I must say.