Muscimol

Muscimol
Chemical name	5-(Aminomethyl)-3(2H)-isoxazolone
Chemical formula	C4H6N2O2
Molecular mass	114.10 g/mol
Melting Point	184-185°C
Solubility	Very soluble in water or methanol, slightly soluble in 100% ethanol
CAS number	18174-72-6
SMILES	NCc1cc(O)no1

Muscimol (agarin, pantherine) is the main psychoactive drug present in the mushrooms . It is the decarboxylized product of ibotenic acid. It is a specific agonist of GABA_A receptors. GABA is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the nervous system. For that reason, Muscimol is routinely used in neuroscience to study the way nerve cells work.

Biology

Muscimol is produced naturally in the mushrooms Amanita muscaria, Amanita pantherina, and Amanita gemmata, along with muscarine, muscazone, and ibotenic acid. It is thought that, in A. muscaria, the layer just below the skin of the cap contains the highest amount of muscimol, and is therefore the most psychoactive portion.

Pharmacology

Muscimol is a potent GABA_A agonist, which is a receptor for the brain's major inhibitory neurotransmitter, GABA. The primary use for muscimol has become lab research of this chemical. Muscimol, when administered to the brain, has been shown active in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum.

See also

• Amanita muscaria
• Ibotenic acid
• Muscarine
• Muscazone
• Psychedelic drug
• Psychoactive drug

External links

• Psychoactive Amanitas on Erowid

References

• Merck Index, 12th Edition
• Ito Y, Segawa K, Fukuda H. 1995 "Functional diversity of GABAA receptor ligand-gated chloride channels in rat synaptoneurosomes" Synapse 19(3):188-96.