Compound Monograph
Deltorphin
Deltorphin is a small opioid peptide from the skin of South American phyllomedusid frogs, highly selective for the delta opioid receptor.
Where Does It Come From? (1)
Deltorphin is a naturally occurring opioid peptide (heptapeptide), found in Phyllomedusa frogs. It is flagged as moderately toxic.
Research & Evidence
Despite the database tag of “alkaloid”, deltorphin is a peptide, not an alkaloid: it is a short seven–amino-acid chain isolated from the skin secretions of South American tree frogs of the genus Phyllomedusa (the same broad group associated with kambo). Deltorphins are notable in pharmacology for their unusually high selectivity and affinity for the delta opioid receptor, and for containing a D-amino acid, which is rare in animal peptides. They are used mainly as research tools to probe delta-opioid signalling.
Toxicity & Safety
Deltorphin is studied in laboratory and animal settings rather than used in people, and its standalone safety profile in humans is not characterised. As a delta-opioid agonist it would be expected to carry opioid-type pharmacological risks.