BACKGROUND

Silene undulata is historically used for inducing vivid and prophetic lucid dreams, but limited information exists on its phytochemical composition and potential pharmacological properties.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the phytochemical composition of through LC-MS/MS analysis and explore its potential serotonergic activity, which could support and confirm the traditional use of as a dream-inducing plant.

METHODS

LC-MS/MS analysis was conducted on extract, identifying 51 phytochemicals, including norharman, harmalol, harmaline, harmine, and ibogaine alkaloids. ADMET and Molecular docking investigations were employed to assess the serotonergic potential of these compounds.

RESULTS

The analysis revealed the presence of -carboline alkaloids, such as norharman, harmalol, harmaline, harmine, and ibogaine, within extract. ADMET analysis showed that these compounds have a favourable pharmacokinetic properties. In addition, molecular docking investigations showed that harmaline (-8.90 Kcal/mol), harmalol (-8.56 Kcal/mol), and ibogaine (-8.75 Kcal/mol) exhibited binding affinities comparable to the control molecule, LSD (-9.14 Kcal/mol), indicating potential agonistic activity at serotonin 5-HT2A receptor.

CONCLUSION

These findings provide insights into the potential therapeutic benefits of , supporting its traditional use as a psychoactive plant. This study investigated the chemical constituents and potential serotonergic agonist activity of for the first time. While promising, further research is necessary to uncover additional medicinal properties associated with the identified phytochemical components.