Harmalol (Harmala Beta-Carboline · MAO-A / Antioxidant)
Compiled from published pharmacological and botanical literature. Not independently verified by Herbuno. Spotted an error or have a correction? Flag it below →
| Compound | Harmalol (7-Hydroxy-dihydroharman; demethyl-harmaline) |
| Chemical class | Alkaloid — Beta-carboline (dihydro, 7-hydroxy harmala indole alkaloid) |
| CAS | 6028-07-5 |
| Primary source | Peganum harmala (Syrian rue) seeds |
| Key applications | MAO-A inhibition; antioxidant; antimicrobial; research context |
| Claim strength | Emerging |
| Typical form | Harmal (Peganum harmala) seed extract — harmalol at ~0.6% of seed |
| Buy from Herbuno |
Harmal Seed Extract Powder - Peganum harmala → Harmal Oil Soluble Extract - Peganum harmala → |
Name origin: Harmalol is the hydroxy analogue of harmaline, the "-ol" marking the 7-hydroxyl that replaces harmaline's 7-methoxy group; it shares the dihydro beta-carboline ring of harmaline and stands in the same structural relationship to it as harmol does to the fully aromatic harmine. Traditional use: As a constituent of Peganum harmala (Syrian rue, harmal, Isband), harmalol is part of the alkaloid complex behind the seed's long Unani, Persian, and Central Asian use as incense and fumigant, as a source of the historic "Turkey red" dye, and as a traditional remedy; it has no separate traditional identity from the whole-seed preparation. Research trajectory: Harmalol was identified and quantified as one of the five main beta-carbolines of Peganum harmala, present at approximately 0.6% of seed weight, in analytical work characterising the plant's MAO-inhibitory profile and establishing seed extracts as potent reversible competitive inhibitors of human MAO-A Herraiz 2010; a comprehensive review of Peganum bioactivities records harmalol among the constituents with important MAO-A-inhibitory activity and documents antioxidant and antimicrobial contributions across the alkaloid group Nadeem 2021. Commercial source: Harmalol is delivered within Harmal Seed Extract Powder (Peganum harmala) from Herbuno, alongside harmine, harmaline, harmol, and tetrahydroharmine, with an oil-soluble format also available.
Evidence for Harmalol Applications
MAO-A inhibition: Harmalol is among the Peganum harmala beta-carbolines with monoamine-oxidase-A-inhibitory activity; within the whole extract the effect is dominated by harmine and harmaline, with harmalol contributing as a quantified co-alkaloid, and a Peganum bioactivity review explicitly lists harmalol among the constituents showing important MAO-A inhibition Herraiz 2010Nadeem 2021. Claim strength: Emerging.
Antioxidant activity: The beta-carboline core confers radical-scavenging activity, and harmalol contributes to the antioxidant capacity attributed to Peganum alkaloid preparations in the reviewed literature Nadeem 2021. This antioxidant behaviour is a general feature of the electron-rich indole scaffold shared across the harmala alkaloids. Claim strength: Emerging.
Antimicrobial activity: Peganum beta-carbolines including harmalol show antibacterial and antifungal activity in vitro, part of the broad-spectrum activity reported for the seed alkaloid fraction against organisms such as various bacteria and Candida; harmalol is noted as contributing more modestly than harmine or harmaline in some binary-mixture assays Nadeem 2021. Claim strength: Emerging.
Structural relationship within the class: As the 7-hydroxy dihydro analogue, harmalol sits alongside harmaline in the reduced branch of the harmala series, and understanding its distinct hydroxylation helps interpret the structure-activity relationships that govern MAO-A affinity and antioxidant capacity across the five main alkaloids. Claim strength: Emerging.
Whole-extract context: Harmalol's practical role is as a co-constituent of the harmala beta-carboline complex rather than an isolated agent; its individual clinical effects have not been separately established, so it is best positioned as a characterising minor alkaloid of a standardised Harmal ingredient. Claim strength: Emerging.
Harmal Seed Extract Powder - Peganum harmala →
Harmal Oil Soluble Extract - Peganum harmala →
Browse Standardised Extract Powders →
Dosage & Formulator Specification
No isolated harmalol human dosing data exist, and it is not offered or studied as a standalone dose. Harmalol is present at roughly 0.6% of Peganum harmala seed weight and is delivered as a co-alkaloid within Harmal seed extract rather than as a standardised single ingredient; total beta-carboline content by HPLC is the practical specification, within which harmine and harmaline dominate.
As with all Harmal-derived material, the governing formulation consideration is the class-level MAO-A inhibition of the harmala beta-carbolines, which carries interaction cautions with tyramine-rich foods and serotonergic drugs. Responsible labelling of any harmalol-containing Harmal ingredient must reflect this whole-extract safety framework rather than treating harmalol in isolation.
Harmal Seed Extract Powder and Harmal Oil Soluble Extract both provide harmalol within the full beta-carboline spectrum, the oil-soluble grade suiting lipid-phase applications. Standardisation to total beta-carbolines, with a defined harmalol fraction where a specification requires it, is the appropriate commercial approach, and batch-level HPLC assay is advisable given the natural lot-to-lot variability of seed alkaloid content.
From a chemistry standpoint, harmalol is useful as a marker of the reduced, hydroxylated branch of the harmala series, and its ratio to harmaline, harmine, and harmol in a given extract reflects both the plant part used and the processing history. Formulators specifying a Harmal ingredient for a defined beta-carboline profile can therefore treat the harmalol fraction as one of several compositional levers, alongside the harmine-to-harmaline ratio, when matching material to an application. This compositional thinking — profile rather than single marker — is the appropriate frame for the whole harmala alkaloid group.
For the formulator, harmalol is best characterised as a defining minor constituent of a Harmal beta-carboline ingredient; any marketing should reflect the preclinical status of its individual evidence while relying on the established whole-extract handling and safety profile.
Frequently Asked Questions — Harmalol
What is harmalol?
Harmalol is a beta-carboline alkaloid of Peganum harmala (Syrian rue), the demethylated (7-hydroxy) analogue of harmaline. It is one of the five principal harmala beta-carbolines and occurs at around 0.6% of seed weight.
How does harmalol relate to harmaline and harmol?
Harmalol is to harmaline what harmol is to harmine: the 7-hydroxy (demethoxy) analogue. Harmalol and harmaline share the dihydro beta-carboline ring, while harmol and harmine are fully aromatic. The pairs differ by whether the 7-position carries a methoxy or a hydroxyl group.
Which Herbuno product contains harmalol?
Harmal Seed Extract Powder (Peganum harmala) delivers harmalol as one of its beta-carbolines, alongside harmine, harmaline, harmol, and tetrahydroharmine. Harmal Oil Soluble Extract is a lipid-phase option for oil-dispersible formulations.
What is known about harmalol's activity?
Harmalol contributes to the MAO-A-inhibitory and antioxidant profile of Peganum harmala extracts and shows antimicrobial activity against various bacteria and fungi in vitro. Most of these data are preclinical and are best interpreted within the context of the whole harmala alkaloid complex rather than as isolated-compound effects.
Related compounds: Harmaline, Harmine, Harmol, Tetrahydroharmine
Claim-strength scale – High = multiple human RCTs; Moderate = limited trials or strong preclinical convergence; Emerging = early-stage lab or animal data.
← HerbIQ Compound Index · HerbIQ P02: Extraction · HerbIQ P03: Delivery