What is it?
Hordenine and its HCl form
1Hordenine is also called N,N-dimethyltyramine. The free base and hydrochloride salt are distinct chemical forms; their package masses are not interchangeable. A barley or bitter-orange extract is not the same product as isolated hordenine.
Names, aliases and forms
Mechanisms of action
Dopamine findings are preclinical
7Hordenine activated dopamine D2 signaling in cells and was studied in mouse and nematode models. Those experiments do not show that an oral supplement improves cognition or motivation in healthy people.
Why blood exposure matters
11A 2025 modeling study compared receptor potency with predicted exposure. Such extrapolation helps prioritize research but is not a clinical trial: neither receptor activation nor a model-derived dose proves benefit or a rate of harm in users.
Potential effects and evidence map
Grade E for healthy-user benefits. Human studies are small pharmacokinetic investigations; receptor and animal findings do not establish improved attention, motivation or performance. These data do not define an effective or safe routine supplement regimen.
An energy or wakefulness benefit has not been established in controlled human outcome studies.
Dopamine-receptor findings in preclinical models do not establish improved motivation in people.
Hordenine-specific performance and endurance benefits remain unestablished.
Typical dosages and timing
A pilot study gave three healthy men aged 25-30 one fasted oral capsule dose. This was an absorption study, not an effective-dose or safety trial. The report does not establish that the dose is equivalent to the same labeled mass of HCl powder.
Timing & effect horizon
The three-person capsule study reported a mean plasma peak at 65 minutes and a mean elimination The time for blood levels to fall by half during the final elimination phase.Source of 54 minutes, with substantial variation. These describe measured blood concentrations, not onset of a focus benefit, time to redose or a safe interval between uses.
Safety, side effects and risk profile
As of 2026-10-12, FDA warning letters identify U.S. dietary-supplement products containing hordenine HCl as adulterated.
OPSS flags possible rapid heart rate and raised blood pressure with oral hordenine; the evidence is largely from animals.
A safe stimulant or medication combination has not been established; adrenergic receptor activity gives a mechanistic reason for caution.
The cited oral supplement study did not include pregnant or breastfeeding people.
The small single-dose study does not establish routine-use safety or an effective regimen.
The single-dose capsule study involved only three young adult men. It does not establish safety during pregnancy or breastfeeding, in children, in people with cardiovascular conditions, or with repeated long-term use. A detailed list of common side effects cannot be derived from this study.
Interactions and cautions
Laboratory activation of adrenergic receptors provides a reason to question combinations with other stimulants or medicines affecting blood pressure. Direct human interaction data do not establish a safe combination, dose adjustment or separation interval. Receptor findings alone cannot quantify clinical interaction risk.
Legal and regulatory status
As of October 12, 2026, FDA lists hordenine and hordenine HCl in its ingredient directory. Its April 2023 SCS Direct warning letter states that HCl is not a dietary ingredient and that the named supplement products contained an unsafe food additive. This concerns U.S. supplement marketing, not a worldwide rule on possession or every product category; other jurisdictions require separate checking.
As of October 12, 2026, WADA advises checking a substance with the relevant anti-doping organization when its status is unclear. A missing keyword result is not clearance. Confirm the rules that apply to your sport and competition date; this page does not certify hordenine or any listed product as permitted.
How it compares
Compare like-for-like HCl products first. An extract or blend may list a total serving weight without disclosing its hordenine content; that weight cannot be used as grams of hordenine. Do not assume synephrine, octopamine and hordenine share the same evidence or regulatory status.
Practical buying and quality notes
- For comparable HCl powders, divide the total price by the verified net weight in grams, then consider shipping and currency. Some listed offers have inconsistent package quantities or zero normalized prices. Verify the merchant label before comparing; a zero unit price is not a free offer.
- Look for the exact salt form, an identified batch and a certificate of analysis that states what was measured. An analysis of bitter-orange/amine products found labeling discrepancies and undeclared synthetic amines. That supports checking composition; it does not establish a problem with any particular offer shown here.6
FAQ
Does dopamine-receptor activity mean it improves focus?
7No human focus benefit follows automatically from receptor activity. The cited dopamine research used cells and animal models; it cannot establish an effective nootropic product or dose.
What matters most when comparing HCl offers?
1Use the same chemical form, a verified net package weight and the final delivered price. Check the actual label and batch documentation when catalog quantities disagree. Package size describes what is sold, not a validated serving size.
Is there an evidence-based dosage or cycle?
8No regimen was validated by the small human studies cited here. A one-time research exposure does not establish an effective daily dose, a safe repeat interval, tolerance management or a cycle length.
References
- PubChem Compound Summary for CID 68313, Hordenine.
- U.S. FDA. Information on Select Dietary Supplement Ingredients and Other Substances: Hordenine and Hordenine HCl.
- U.S. FDA Warning Letter: SCS Direct, Inc. 633509. April 6, 2023.
- World Anti-Doping Agency. The Prohibited List.
- Sommer T, Goen T, Budnik N, Pischetsrieder M. Absorption, Biokinetics, and Metabolism of the Dopamine D2 Receptor Agonist Hordenine (N,N-Dimethyltyramine) after Beer Consumption in Humans. J Agric Food Chem. 2020;68:1998-2006.
- Pawar RS, Sagi S, Leontyev D. Analysis of bitter orange dietary supplements for natural and synthetic phenethylamines by LC-MS/MS. Drug Test Anal. 2020;12:1241-1251.
- Li H, Gao M, Chen Z, et al. Hordenine improves Parkinsonian-like motor deficits in mice and nematodes by activating dopamine D2 receptor-mediated signaling. Phytother Res. 2023;37:3296-3308.
- Sobiech M, Giebultowicz J, Lulinski P. Application of Magnetic Core-Shell Imprinted Nanoconjugates for the Analysis of Hordenine in Human Plasma-Preliminary Data on Pharmacokinetic Study after Oral Administration. J Agric Food Chem. 2020;68:14502-14512.
- Operation Supplement Safety (OPSS). Hordenine in Dietary Supplements: Why Avoid It? Updated March 7, 2022.
- Pinckaers NET, Blankesteijn WM, Mircheva A, et al. In Vitro Activation of Human Adrenergic Receptors and Trace Amine-Associated Receptor 1 by Phenethylamine Analogues Present in Food Supplements. Nutrients. 2024;16:1567.
- Pinckaers NET et al. Quantitative in vitro-to-in vivo extrapolation of human adrenergic and trace amine-associated receptor 1 potencies of pre-workout supplement ingredients using physiologically based kinetic modelling-based reverse dosimetry. Archives of Toxicology. 2025;99:1999-2021.