Norbaeocystin

Norbaeocystin
Clinical data
Other names4-Phosphoryloxytryptamine; 4-PO-T; 4-Hydroxytryptamine 4-phosphate; 4-Hydroxytryptamine phosphate
Routes of
administration
Oral
Drug classSerotonin receptor agonist; Non-hallucinogenic serotonin 5-HT2A receptor agonist
ATC code
  • none
Legal status
Legal status
Identifiers
  • 3-(2-ammonioethyl)-1H-indol-4-yl hydrogen phosphate
CAS Number
PubChem CID
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
ChEBI
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC10H13N2O4P
Molar mass256.198 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
  • NCCc1c[nH]c2cccc(OP(=O)(O)O)c12
  • InChI=1S/C10H13N2O4P/c11-5-4-7-6-12-8-2-1-3-9(10(7)8)16-17(13,14)15/h1-3,6,12H,4-5,11H2,(H2,13,14,15)
  • Key:IKQGYCWFBVEAKF-UHFFFAOYSA-N
  (verify)

Norbaeocystin, also known as 4-phosphoryloxytryptamine (4-PO-T), is a psilocybin mushroom alkaloid and analog of psilocybin. It is found as a minor compound in most psilocybin mushrooms together with psilocin, psilocybin, aeruginascin, and baeocystin, from which it is a derivative.

Norbaeocystin is an N-demethylated derivative of baeocystin (itself an N-demethylated derivative of psilocybin), and a phosphorylated derivative of 4-hydroxytryptamine (4-HT). The latter is notable as a positional isomer of serotonin, which is 5-hydroxytryptamine.

Norbaeocystin is thought to be a prodrug of 4-HT, analogously to how psilocybin is a prodrug of psilocin and baeocystin is thought to be a prodrug of norpsilocin. 4-HT is a potent and centrally penetrant serotonin 5-HT2A receptor agonist and also interacts with other serotonin receptors. In spite of this however, 4-HT and norbaeocystin do not produce the head-twitch response, a behavioral proxy of psychedelic effects, in animals, and hence are putatively non-hallucinogenic. The reasons for this are unknown, but may be due to β-arrestin2-preferring biased agonism of the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor.