Carnegine, also known as pectenine, DMMM-4, or 6,7-dimethoxy-1,2-dimethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline, is a tetrahydroisoquinoline and cyclized phenethylamine alkaloid found in the cacti species Carnegiea gigantea and Pachycereus pringlei.
It is known to be pharmacologically active, including acting as a relatively potent monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), specifically of monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) (Ki = 2μM for the (R)-enantiomer) but not of monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B), producing strychnine-like convulsions in animals, and having other actions and effects. Carnegine and similar alkaloids might potentiate the effects of mescaline and related compounds like N-methylmescaline via monoamine oxidase inhibition.
The compound was first isolated in 1901 and was first synthesized in 1929.
See also Substituted tetrahydroisoquinoline 3,4-Dimethoxyphenethylamine Pachycereus pringlei § Constituents and effects
References
External links Carnegine - Isomer Design