α-Ethylmescaline (AEM or 3,4,5-trimethoxy-α-ethylphenethylamine) is a chemical compound of the phenethylamine and phenylisobutylamine families related to the psychedelic drug mescaline. It is the analogue of mescaline and TMA with an ethyl group at the α position of the side chain.
Use and effects In his book PiHKAL, Alexander Shulgin lists AEM's dose as greater than 220mg orally and its duration as unknown. http://www.erowid.org/library/books_online/pihkal/pihkal001.shtml It was found to be completely inactive in terms of both central and peripheral effects in humans.
Pharmacology Pharmacodynamics AEM produces the head-twitch response, a behavioral proxy of psychedelic effects, in rodents, but with only about half the potency of mescaline and TMA (α-methylmescaline).
Chemistry Synthesis The chemical synthesis of AEM has been described.
Derivatives Alexander Shulgin never synthesized further α position-extended mescaline analogues, such as α-propylmescaline (APM) or α-butylmescaline (ABM), as the inactivity of AEM in humans discouraged him. In any case, APM and ABM have been found to be inactive in terms of induction of the head-twitch response, a behavioral proxy of psychedelic effects, in rodents, and hence may be non-hallucinogenic in humans as well.
History AEM was first described in the scientific literature by Alexander Shulgin by 1963. He tested it and found it to be inactive in 1961. Later, Shulgin described AEM in greater detail in his 1991 book PiHKAL (Phenethylamines I Have Known and Loved).
See also Scaline α-Methylmescaline (3,4,5-TMA) Ariadne (drug) (α-ethyl-DOM)
References
External links AEM - Isomer Design AEM - PiHKAL - Erowid AEM - PiHKAL - Isomer Design AEM - The Shulgin Index