Isoproscaline or 4-isopropoxy-3,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine is an

analog Analog or analogue may refer to: Computing and electronics * Analog signal, in which information is encoded in a continuous variable ** Analog device, an apparatus that operates on analog signals *** Analog electronics, circuits which use analog ...

mescaline Mescaline, also known as mescalin or mezcalin, and in chemical terms 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine, is a natural product, naturally occurring psychedelic drug, psychedelic alkaloid, protoalkaloid of the substituted phenethylamine class, found ...

. It is closely related to

proscaline Proscaline (4-propoxy-3,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine or 4-propoxy-3,5-DMPEA) is a Psychedelic drug, psychedelic and hallucinogenic drug. It has structural properties similar to the drugs mescaline, isoproscaline, and escaline. In ''PiHKAL'', Alexan ...

and was first synthesized by David E. Nichols. It produces

hallucinogenic Hallucinogens, also known as psychedelics, entheogens, or historically as psychotomimetics, are a large and diverse class of psychoactive drugs that can produce altered states of consciousness characterized by major alterations in thought, moo ...

psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary mental states (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips") and a perceived "expansion of consciousness". Also referred to as classic halluci ...

, and

entheogen Entheogens are psychoactive substances used in spiritual and religious contexts to induce altered states of consciousness. Hallucinogens such as the psilocybin found in so-called "magic" mushrooms have been used in sacred contexts since ancie ...

ic effects.

Chemistry

Isoproscaline is in a class of compounds commonly known as

phenethylamine Phenethylamine (PEA) is an organic compound, natural monoamine alkaloid, and trace amine, which acts as a central nervous system stimulant in humans. In the brain, phenethylamine regulates monoamine neurotransmission by binding to trace ami ...

s, and the full chemical name is 2-(4-isopropoxy-3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)ethanamine.

Effects

Little is known about the psychopharmacological effects of isoproscaline. In his book ''

PiHKAL ''PiHKAL: A Chemical Love Story'' is a book by Alexander Shulgin and Ann Shulgin published in 1991. The subject of the work is Psychoactive drug, psychoactive phenethylamine Derivative (chemistry), chemical derivatives, notably those that act ...

'',

Alexander Shulgin Alexander Theodore "Sasha" Shulgin (June 17, 1925 – June 2, 2014) was an American biochemist, broad researcher of synthetic psychoactive compounds, and author of works regarding these, who independently explored the organic chemistry and ph ...

lists a psychedelic dosage as being 40–80 mg, with effects lasting 10–16 hours.Isoproscaline entry in PiHKAL
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Pharmacology

The mechanism that produces the hallucinogenic and entheogenic effects of isoproscaline is most likely to result from action as a 5-HT_2A

serotonin receptor 5-HT receptors, 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors, or serotonin receptors, are a group of G protein-coupled receptor and ligand-gated ion channels found in multiple tissues including the central and peripheral nervous systems. They mediate both ex ...

agonist An agonist is a chemical that activates a Receptor (biochemistry), receptor to produce a biological response. Receptors are Cell (biology), cellular proteins whose activation causes the cell to modify what it is currently doing. In contrast, an R ...

in the brain, a mechanism of action shared by all of the hallucinogenic tryptamines and

phenethylamines Substituted phenethylamines (or simply phenethylamines) are a chemical class of organic compounds that are based upon the phenethylamine structure; the class is composed of all the derivative (chemistry), derivative compounds of phenethylamine ...

Dangers

The toxicity of isoproscaline is not known.

Legality

Isoproscaline is unscheduled in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

; however, because of its close similarity in structure and effects to

, possession and sale of isoproscaline may be subject to prosecution under the

Federal Analog Act The Federal Analogue Act, , is a section of the United States Controlled Substances Act passed in 1986 which allows any chemical "substantially similar" to a controlled substance listed in Schedule I or II to be treated as if it were listed ...

. In the UK, its highly likely that this compound would be covered by the "phenylethylamine amendment" to the misuse of drugs act likely rendering it a Class A controlled drug.

References