4-HO-NBnT, also known as 4-hydroxy-N-benzyltryptamine, is a serotonin receptor agonist and putative psychedelic drug of the tryptamine and 4-hydroxytryptamine families related to norpsilocin (4-HO-NMT).
It is a non-selective serotonin receptor agonist, including of the serotonin 5-HT<sub>2A</sub> receptor. The drug produces psychedelic-like effects in animals.
4-HO-NBnT was first described in the scientific literature in 2024.
4-HO-NBnT is a potent ligand of the serotonin 5-HT<sub>2A</sub>, 5-HT<sub>2B</sub>, and 5-HT<sub>2C</sub> receptors. Of a series of nine N-monoalkyl-4-hydroxytryptamines, it was the most potent agonist of the serotonin 5-HT<sub>2A</sub> and 5-HT<sub>2B</sub> receptors. In addition, it was second only to norpsilocin in terms of potency as an agonist of the serotonin 5-HT<sub>2C</sub> receptor. 4-HO-NBnT acts as a high-efficacy partial agonist of the serotonin 5-HT<sub>2A</sub> receptor, as a very weak partial agonist or antagonist of the serotonin 5-HT<sub>2B</sub> receptor, and as a full agonist of the serotonin 5-HT<sub>2C</sub> receptor. Its and values were 2.9nM (73%) at the serotonin 5-HT<sub>2A</sub> receptor, 4.9nM (11%) at the serotonin 5-HT<sub>2B</sub> receptor, and 70.7nM (91%) at the serotonin 5-HT<sub>2C</sub> receptor.
In addition to the serotonin 5-HT<sub>2</sub> receptors, 4-HO-NBnT shows affinity for and potent partial agonism of other serotonin receptors, including the serotonin 5-HT<sub>1B</sub>, 5-HT<sub>1D</sub>, 5-HT<sub>1E</sub>, and 5-HT<sub>7A</sub> receptors. In contrast to norpsilocin and psilocin, 4-HO-NBnT was inactive as a serotonin 5-HT<sub>1A</sub> receptor agonist. It also shows substantial affinity for sigma ÃÂ<sub>1</sub> and ÃÂ<sub>2</sub> receptors (K<sub>i</sub> = 43.3nM and 249nM, respectively).
4-HO-NBnT produces the head-twitch response, a behavioral proxy of psychedelic effects, in rodents. Its potency in inducing the head-twitch response is about 10-fold lower than that of psilocin (4-HO-DMT), but is of about the same maximal efficacy in terms of frequency of head twitches. The production of the head-twitch response with the drug is in contrast to norpsilocin, which does not cause this response even at very high doses. 4-HO-NBnT also produces hypolocomotion and hypothermia in rodents.
4-HO-NBnT, also known as 4-hydroxy-N-benzyltryptamine, is a substituted tryptamine and 4-hydroxytryptamine derivative. It is the 4-hydroxy derivative of N-benzyltryptamine and is related to the naturally occurrence norpsilocin (4-HO-NMT).
The calculated log P of 4-HO-NBnT is 2.93. This is far higher than for instance norpsilocin (4-HO-NMT), which had a calculated log P of 0.90.
The chemical synthesis of 4-HO-NBnT has been described.
Analogues of 4-HO-NBnT include norpsilocin (4-HO-NMT), 4-HO-NET, 4-HO-NPT, 4-HO-NiPT, 4-HO-NALT, 4-HO-NBT (4-HO-NnBT), 4-HO-NtBT, and 4-HO-NcHT, among others.
4-HO-NBnT was first described in the scientific literature by Alexander Sherwood and colleagues in 2024.