Harmine (HM)

Harmine is a fluorescent harmala alkaloid belonging to the beta-carboline family of compounds. Harmine reversibly inhibits monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A), an enzyme which breaks down monoamines, making it a RIMA. Harmine selectively binds to MAO-A but does not inhibit the variant MAO-B. Harmine, and plants containing significant amounts of harmine and other harmala alkaloids are generally not considered safe treatments for depression within the medical community. This bias however is primarily built on previous decades of experience with pharmaceutical non-specific MAOIs that block both MAO-A and MAO-B.[10] Inhibiting MAO-A or MAO-B (in high enough doses) while consuming foods rich in tyramine, e.g. cheese, can cause tyramine, ordinarily metabolized by these enzymes, to accumulate to dangerous levels. This can cause a potentially fatal hypertensive crisis.