Don't lick the frog, though

"It's like most things you find in a national park, (...) refrain from licking it. Thank you", the US National Parks Agency announced in November 2022 on social networks.

They were referring to the Colorado River toad (Bufo alvarius). Park visitors should not touch it with their fingers, and especially not with their tongue.

That frog lives in the southwest of North America. At almost 18 centimeters, it is one of the largest frogs in North America.

If it feels threatened, it secretes a very strong poison, which protects it from enemies. The poison can kill even a large dog. But the frog's poison seems to attract people after all.

They are looking for the poison of that frog because it contains the substance 5-MeO-DMT. It is considered to be the strongest known hallucinogen, i.e. tryptamine.

The hallucination it causes is very strong and short-lived compared to other psychedelic substances, lasting 15 to 30 minutes.

But, the frog should not be licked, not only for the protection of animals, but also because without drying, evaporation or similar processing of the substance, other poisons can enter the body and can cause extreme side effects.

Frog poison against depression

Not only adventurers and hippies, but also scientists are interested in this type of frog.

A large number of studies in the field of psychoactive substances for decades show that scientists have an interest in alternative methods of therapy when it comes to mental health.

For example with the help of LSD, psilocybin or MDMA. But 5-MeO-DMT is also increasingly in focus due to its therapeutic potential.

Scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine in New York discovered that a substance from this toad's venom interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain. The study was recently published in the professional journal Nature.

In medicine, serotonin receptors are an important starting point for drugs, for example antidepressants.

Scientists synthesized tryptamine from frog venom and investigated the action of serotonin receptors 5-HT2A and 5-HT1A, among other things, in mice.

As the main author of the study, Daniel Wacker, says, they managed to structure the substance so that it has maximum activity on one receptor and minimum activity on the other.

What it means? 5-HT1A receptors are considered as target receptors for the treatment of fears or depressions. 5-HT2A receptors are responsible for the hallucinogenic effects induced by psychedelics.

Scientists hope that soon it will be possible to develop drugs based on psychedelics, but without hallucinogenic effects.

A number of further studies are testing how well this psychedelic could be used to treat severe depression or anxiety.

The revival of natural drugs

The substance is not only produced by the frog Bufo alvarius. This poison is also found in some plants, for example in the seeds and bark of the yop, a legume found in South America.

In many areas, substances from the plant have been used as a psychedelic for thousands of years.

Interest in the Bufo alvarius frog began in the 1960s. In the meantime, there are organized trips, for example to Mexico, where these and some other substances are given to tourists for "spiritual action".

Or to gain that experience. Mexico is one of the few countries where the consumption of this tryptomine is legal.

Psychedelics as medicine

While treatment with these substances outside of clinical trials is generally not allowed, Australia has allowed the use of MDMA for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) since last year.

Psilocybin, which is obtained from mushrooms, is approved for the treatment of depressions that cannot be treated otherwise. But even here, experts still express criticism.

The drug agency is said to have caved in to pressure from the public and lobby groups because there is not enough evidence to justify wider use.

The Australian Medicines Agency says that treatment is under the intensive supervision of a psychiatrist and that this therapy may be the only option for patients resistant to other treatment options.

Strict licensing rules apply if a psychiatrist wants to use the substance.

In early June 2024, the US Food and Drug Administration will also discuss whether to recommend a license for the use of MDMA in PTSD therapy.