Banisteriopsis caapi consists of ß-carboline alkaloids, primarily harmine, harmaline, as well as tetrahydroharmine (THH), which are preventions of monoamine oxidases (MAO). Psychotria viridis has the hallucinogenic indole N,N-dimethyltryptamine, a serotonin agonist that causes intense cognitive and observant adjustments when carried out parenterally in human beings. When taken by mouth, DMT is oxidized by MAO, a process that is avoided by the existence of ß-carbolines after ayahuasca ingestion, permitting the DMT to reach the serotoninergic receptors in the nerves causing the psychotropic effects of the beverage.