Description
An indole alkaloid; an intermediate in the biosynthesis of the neurotransmitter serotonin and the phytohormone melatonin in plants; increases the levels of the terpenoid indole alkaloids ajmalicine, strictosidine, and catharanthine in C. roseus cultures; a product of tryptophan metabolism in mammals; derivatives have been synthetically produced as hallucinogenic drugs of abuse