Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly known as LSD, is a potent psychedelic drug that intensifies thoughts, emotions, and sensory perception. Often referred to as acid or lucy, LSD can cause mystical, spiritual, or religious experiences. At higher doses, it primarily induces visual and auditory hallucinations. LSD is not considered addictive, because it does not produce compulsive drug-seeking behavior. Using LSD can lead to adverse psychological reactions, such as anxiety, paranoia, and delusions. Additionally, it may trigger "flashbacks," also known as hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD), where individuals experience persistent visual distortions after use.
Ergine, also known as lysergic acid amide and lysergamide, is an ergoline alkaloid that occurs in Clavicipitaceous fungi, which includes Convolvulaceae vines, which have a permanent bond with these fungi. The most common source of ergine for consumers is the seeds of Ipomoea tricolor, Ipomoea corymbosa, and Argyreia nervosa; isoergine and lysergic acid propanolamide have also been shown to contribute to their psychoactivity.
Ergoline is a core structure in many alkaloids and their synthetic derivatives. Ergoline alkaloids were first characterized in ergot. Some of these are implicated in the condition of ergotism, which can take a convulsive form or a gangrenous form. Even so, many ergoline alkaloids have been found to be clinically useful. Annual world production of ergot alkaloids has been estimated at 5,000–8,000 kg of all ergopeptines and 10,000–15,000 kg of lysergic acid, used primarily in the manufacture of semi-synthetic derivatives.
Amides of lysergic acid are collectively known as lysergamides or ergoamides, and include a number of compounds with potent agonist and/or antagonist activity at various serotonin and dopamine receptors. Lysergamides contain an embedded tryptamine structure, and as a result can produce similar, often psychedelic, effects to those of the true tryptamines.
ALD-52, also known as 1-acetyl-LSD, has chemical structural features similar to lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), a known psychedelic drug. Similarly, ALD-52 has been reported to produce psychoactive effects, but its pharmacological effects on humans are poorly understood. Given its psychoactive properties, it has been reported to be consumed as a recreational drug, and the purported first confirmed detection of the substance on the illicit market occurred in April 2016.
Ergonovine, also known as ergometrine and lysergic acid propanolamide is a medication used to cause contractions of the uterus to treat heavy vaginal bleeding after childbirth. It can be used either by mouth, by injection into a muscle, or injection into a vein. It begins working within 15 minutes when taken by mouth and is faster in onset when used by injection. Effects last between 45 and 180 minutes.
ᴅ-Lysergic acid α-hydroxyethylamide, also known as ᴅ-lysergic acid methyl carbinolamide, is an ergoamide and an ergoline. It is perhaps the main constituent of the parasitic fungus, Claviceps paspali; and found in trace amounts in Claviceps Purpurea. C. paspali and C. purpurea are ergot-spreading fungi. Periglandula, Clavicipitacepus fungi, are permanently symbiotically connected to an estimated 450 species of Convolvulaceae and thus generate LAH in some of them. The most well-known ones are Ipomoea tricolor, Turbina corymbosa (coaxihuitl), and Argyreia nervosa.
AL-LAD, also known as 6-allyl-6-nor-LSD, is a psychedelic drug and an analog of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). It is described by Alexander Shulgin in the book TiHKAL. It is synthesized starting from nor-LSD as a precursor, using allyl bromide as a reactant.
ETH-LAD, 6-ethyl-6-nor-lysergic acid diethylamide is an analogue of LSD. Its human psychopharmacology was first described by Alexander Shulgin in the book TiHKAL. ETH-LAD is a psychedelic drug similar to LSD, and is slightly more potent than LSD itself, with an active dose reported at between 20 and 150 micrograms. ETH-LAD has subtly different effects to LSD, described as less demanding.
PRO-LAD is an analogue of LSD. It is described by Alexander Shulgin in the book TiHKAL. PRO-LAD is a psychedelic drug similar to LSD, and is around as potent as LSD itself with an active dose reported at between 100 and 200 micrograms.
N-Morpholinyllysergamide, also known as lysergic acid morpholide, is a derivative of ergine (lysergamide). It is less potent than lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) but is reported to have some LSD-like effects at doses ranging from 75 to 700 micrograms and a shorter duration. LSM-775 may only produce weak or threshold psychedelic effects in humans.
Methylisopropyllysergamide is an analogue of LSD that was originally discovered by Albert Hofmann at Sandoz during the original structure-activity research into LSD. It has subsequently been investigated in more detail by the team led by David E. Nichols at Purdue University. Methylisopropyllysergamide is a structural isomer of LSD, with the alkyl groups on the amide nitrogen having been subjected to a methylene shuffle. MIPLA and its ethylisopropyl homologue EIPLA are the only simple N,N-dialkyl lysergamides that approach the potency of LSD itself, being around 1/3-1/2 the potency of LSD, while all other dialkyl analogues tested are only around 1/10 as potent as LSD, although some N-monoalkyl lysergamides such as the sec-butyl and t-butyl derivatives were also found to show an activity profile and potency comparable to LSD, and the mono-isopropyl derivative is only slightly weaker than MIPLA. Apart from its lower potency, the hallucinogenic effects of methylisopropyllysergamide are similar to those of LSD itself, and the main use for this drug has been in studies of the binding site at the 5-HT2A receptor through which LSD exerts most of its pharmacological effects.
Lysergic acid 2-butyl amide (2-Butyllysergamide, LSB) is an analogue of LSD originally developed by Richard Pioch at Eli Lilly in the 1950s, but mostly publicised through research conducted by the team led by David E. Nichols at Purdue University. It is a structural isomer of LSD, with the two ethyl groups on the amide nitrogen having been replaced by a single sec-butyl group, joined at the 2-position. It is one of the few lysergamide derivatives to exceed the potency of LSD in animal drug discrimination assays, with the (R) isomer having an ED50 of 33nmol/kg for producing drug-appropriate responding, vs 48nmol/kg for LSD itself. The corresponding (R)-2-pentyl analogue has higher binding affinity for the 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors, but is less potent in producing drug-appropriate responding, suggesting that the butyl compound has a higher efficacy at the receptor target. The drug discrimination assay for LSD in rats involves both 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A mediated components, and while lysergic acid 2-butyl amide is more potent than LSD as a 5-HT1A agonist, it is slightly less potent as a 5-HT2A agonist, and so would probably be slightly less potent than LSD as a hallucinogen in humans. The main use for this drug has been in studies of the binding site at the 5-HT2A receptor through which LSD exerts most of its pharmacological effects, with the stereoselective activity of these unsymmetric monoalkyl lysergamides foreshadowing the subsequent development of compounds such as lysergic acid 2,4-dimethylazetidide (LSZ).
LSD-Pip is a compound from the ergoline family, related to LSD but with the N,N-diethyl substitution replaced by a piperidine group. It is more potent than the corresponding pyrrolidine and morpholine analogues, but is still several times less potent than LSD as a 5-HT2A agonist. Early studies suggested this compound to be inactive as a psychedelic in humans, though this does not seem to have been confirmed by any more recent work.
Lysergic acid 3-pentyl amide is an analogue of LSD originally researched by David E. Nichols and colleagues at Purdue University. It has similar binding affinity to LSD itself as both a 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A agonist, and produces similar behavioral and physiological responses in animals with only slightly lower potency than LSD. Other isomers of this compound have also been explored, with the 1-pentylamide being around 75% the potency of LSD, while the (R)-2-pentylamide shows similar 5-HT2A binding affinity to LSD in vitro but has only around half the potency of LSD in producing drug-appropriate responding in mice, and the (S)-2-pentylamide is inactive.
2-Bromo-LSD, also known as BOL-148 or as bromolysergide, is a derivative of lysergic acid invented by Albert Hofmann, as part of the original research from which the closely related compound LSD was also derived. It is a non-hallucinogenic serotonin 5-HT2A receptor partial agonist, as well as acting at other targets, with psychoplastogenic and antidepressant-like effects in animals.
Pirenperone (INNTooltip International Nonproprietary Name, USANTooltip United States Adopted Name, BANTooltip British Approved Name; developmental code names R-47456, R-50656) is a serotonin receptor antagonist described as an antipsychotic and tranquilizer which was never marketed. It is a relatively selective antagonist of the serotonin 5-HT2 receptors and has been used in scientific research to study the serotonin system. In the 1980s, the drug was found to block the effects of the lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in animals, and, along with ketanserin, led to the elucidation of the 5-HT2A receptor as the biological mediator of the effects of serotonergic psychedelics.
1B-LSD is an acylated derivative of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), which has been sold as a designer drug. In tests on mice it was found to be an active psychedelic, though with only around 1/7 the potency of LSD itself.
1V-LSD, sometimes nicknamed Valerie, is a psychotropic substance and a research chemical with psychedelic effects. 1V-LSD is an artificial derivative of natural lysergic acid, which occurs in ergot alkaloids, as well as being an analogue of LSD. 1V-LSD has been sold online until an amendment to the German NpSG was enforced in 2022 which controls 1P-LSD and now 1cP-LSD, 1V-LSD and several other lysergamides.
Descarboxylysergic acid, or 8-descarboxylysergic acid, also known as 9,10-didehydro-6-methylergoline or as 6-methyl-9-ergolene, is a drug of the ergoline family related to lysergic acid and lysergamides like lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). It is the analogue of lysergic acid in which the carboxyl group at the C8 position of the molecule has been removed. Descarboxylysergic acid was synthesized in an attempt to help elucidate the minimum structural requirements for biological activity of ergoline and lysergamide drugs like LSD.
