Case report : A case of β-carboline alkaloid intoxication following ingestion of Peganum harmala seed extract Giampietro Frison, Donata Favretto, Flavio Zancanaro, Giorgio Fazzin, Santo Davide Ferrara Forensic Science International, 2008, 179, e37–e43 doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2008.05.003   Abstract b-Carboline alkaloids harmine, harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine can stimulate the central nervous system by inhibiting the metabolism of amine neurotransmitters, or by direct interaction with specific receptors; they are found in numerous plants, including Peganum harmala, Passiflora incarnata and Banisteriopsis caapi, and in the entheogen preparation Ayahuasca, which is traditionally brewed using B. caapi to enhance the activity of amine hallucinogenic drugs. The ingestion of plant preparations containing b-carboline alkaloids may [...]