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Substituted cathinones

Original Wikipedia articleen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Substituted_cathinone revision used (24 October 2026)

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Overview

Substituted cathinones (also known as cathinones or synthetic cathinones) are a chemical class of psychoactive compounds that are based on the structure of cathinone. The class is composed of all the derivative compounds of cathinone which can be formed by replacing, or substituting, one or more hydrogen atoms in the cathinone core structure with substituents. Examples include MDPV, mephedrone, methylone, and a-PVP. PW

Substituted cathinones, or simply cathinones, which include some stimulants and entactogens, are derivatives of cathinone. They feature a phenethylamine core with an alkyl group attached to the alpha carbon, and a ketone group attached to the beta carbon, along with additional substitutions. Cathinone occurs naturally in the plant khat whose leaves are chewed as a recreational drug.[1–6] WP

Substituted cathinones act as monoamine releasing agents and/or monoamine reuptake inhibitors, including norepinephrine, dopamine, and/or serotonin. In contrast to substituted amphetamines, most substituted cathinones do not act as agonists of the human trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1). This may potentiate their stimulating and addictive effects. In addition, β-keto-substituted phenethylamines, such as βk-2C-B, appear to show dramatically reduced potency and efficacy as serotonin 5-HT2A receptor agonists compared to their non-β-keto-substituted counterparts.[7–16] WP

Drugs in this class on intoxicant.wiki

Every page on this site that a cited source puts in this class: 32 pages. A drug is listed when PsychonautWiki's "Substituted cathinones" page, revision 163623 lists it, or when its own PsychonautWiki, TripSit or Wikipedia entry names this class. Each name opens our page for that drug; long chemical names are shown by a shorter name the drug is also known by (hover for the full name).

Tags show who puts each drug in this class (hover for the exact wording): PW list = listed on PsychonautWiki's page for this class; PW = the drug's PsychonautWiki entry; TS = the drug's TripSit entry (drug category); WP = the drug infobox of the drug's Wikipedia article. These are classifications only, not dosage guidance.

References

  1. Journal / agency Meltzer PC, Butler D, Deschamps JR, Madras BK. 1-(4-Methylphenyl)-2-pyrrolidin-1-yl-pentan-1-one (Pyrovalerone) analogues: a promising class of monoamine uptake inhibitors. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. February 2006. doi:10.1021/jm050797a · PMID 16480278 · PMC2602954
  2. Journal / agency Paillet-Loilier M, Cesbron A, Le Boisselier R, Bourgine J, Debruyne D. Emerging drugs of abuse: current perspectives on substituted cathinones. Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation. 2014. doi:10.2147/SAR.S37257 · PMID 24966713 · PMC4043811
  3. Journal / agency Simmons SJ, Leyrer-Jackson JM, Oliver CF, Hicks C, Muschamp JW, Rawls SM, Olive MF. DARK Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Cathinone-Derived Psychostimulants. ACS Chemical Neuroscience. October 2018. doi:10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00147 · PMID 29714473 · PMC6197900
  4. Journal / agency Beck O, Bäckberg M, Signell P, Helander A. Intoxications in the STRIDA project involving a panorama of psychostimulant pyrovalerone derivatives, MDPV copycats. Clinical Toxicology. April 2018. doi:10.1080/15563650.2017.1370097 · PMID 28895757
  5. Journal / agency Majchrzak M, Celiński R, Kuś P, Kowalska T, Sajewicz M. The newest cathinone derivatives as designer drugs: an analytical and toxicological review. Forensic Toxicology. 2018. doi:10.1007/s11419-017-0385-6 · PMID 29367861 · PMC5754390
  6. Journal / agency Colzato LS, Ruiz MJ, van den Wildenberg WP, Hommel B. Khat use is associated with impaired working memory and cognitive flexibility. PLOS ONE. 2011. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0020602 · PMID 21698275 · PMC3115937
  7. Journal / agency Rothman RB, Baumann MH. Monoamine transporters and psychostimulant drugs. Eur. J. Pharmacol. 2003. doi:10.1016/j.ejphar.2003.08.054 · PMID 14612135
  8. Journal / agency Rothman RB, Baumann MH. Therapeutic potential of monoamine transporter substrates. Curr Top Med Chem. 2006. doi:10.2174/156802606778249766 · PMID 17017961
  9. Journal / agency Reith ME, Blough BE, Hong WC, Jones KT, Schmitt KC, Baumann MH, Partilla JS, Rothman RB, Katz JL. Behavioral, biological, and chemical perspectives on atypical agents targeting the dopamine transporter. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. February 2015. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.12.005 · PMID 25548026 · PMC4297708
  10. Journal / agency Rothman RB, Baumann MH. Targeted screening for biogenic amine transporters: potential applications for natural products. Life Sciences. December 2005. doi:10.1016/j.lfs.2005.09.001 · PMID 16202429
  11. Journal / agency Rothman RB, Baumann MH, Dersch CM, Romero DV, Rice KC, Carroll FI, Partilla JS. Amphetamine-type central nervous system stimulants release norepinephrine more potently than they release dopamine and serotonin. Synapse. January 2001. doi:10.1002/1098-2396(20010101)39:1<32::AID-SYN5>3.0.CO;2-3 · PMID 11071707
  12. Journal / agency Baumann MH, Ayestas MA, Partilla JS, Sink JR, Shulgin AT, Daley PF, Brandt SD, Rothman RB, Ruoho AE, Cozzi NV. The designer methcathinone analogs, mephedrone and methylone, are substrates for monoamine transporters in brain tissue. Neuropsychopharmacology. April 2012. doi:10.1038/npp.2011.304 · PMID 22169943 · PMC3306880
  13. Journal / agency Kuropka P, Zawadzki M, Szpot P. A narrative review of the neuropharmacology of synthetic cathinones-Popular alternatives to classical drugs of abuse. Hum Psychopharmacol. May 2023. doi:10.1002/hup.2866 · PMID 36866677
  14. Journal / agency Simmler LD, Buchy D, Chaboz S, Hoener MC, Liechti ME. In Vitro Characterization of Psychoactive Substances at Rat, Mouse, and Human Trace Amine-Associated Receptor 1. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. April 2016. doi:10.1124/jpet.115.229765 · PMID 26791601
  15. Journal / agency Simmler LD, Rickli A, Hoener MC, Liechti ME. Monoamine transporter and receptor interaction profiles of a new series of designer cathinones. Neuropharmacology. April 2014. doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2013.11.008 · PMID 24275046
  16. Journal / agency Pottie E, Cannaert A, Stove CP. In vitro structure-activity relationship determination of 30 psychedelic new psychoactive substances by means of β-arrestin 2 recruitment to the serotonin 2A receptor. Arch Toxicol. October 2020. doi:10.1007/s00204-020-02836-w · PMID 32627074

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