What is 9-Me-BC?
9-Me-BC is the usual abbreviation for 9-methyl-beta-carboline (9-methyl-β-carboline), the small molecule 9-methyl-9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole. It belongs to the beta-carbolines, tricyclic pyridoindoles that include norharmane, the unsubstituted β-carboline, and harmane, 1-methyl-β-carboline. Norharmane and harmane form in the body and occur in fried meat and fish, coffee, alcoholic drinks and tobacco smoke (Pfau and Skog, 2004). 9-Me-BC is norharmane with a methyl group on the indole nitrogen at position 9.
Because β-carbolines had mostly been studied as possible neurotoxins, Gabriele Gille's group at the Technical University of Dresden described 9-Me-BC in 2008 as the first β-carboline found to protect dopaminergic neurons and promote their differentiation in culture (Hamann et al., 2008). Disguised Alpha supplies it as 20MG capsules, 60 per bottle, for laboratory research use only. Nothing on this page is guidance for use in people.
9-Me-BC reference data
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | 9-Me-BC (9-methyl-β-carboline) |
| Also called | 9-Methyl-beta-carboline; 9-methylnorharmane (9-methylnorharman); N-methylnorharmane; 9-methyl-9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole; UNII GC837J2CCJ |
| Structure | The β-carboline ring system (pyrido[3,4-b]indole, an indole fused to a pyridine ring) with a methyl group on the indole nitrogen, N9; no amino acids or peptide bonds |
| Compound class | β-Carboline (pyridoindole); the N9-methyl derivative of norharmane |
| Molecular formula | C₁₂H₁₀N₂ |
| Molecular weight | 182.22 g/mol |
| PubChem CID | 164979 |
| Form | Capsules, 20MG per capsule, 60 capsules per bottle (1,200MG per bottle) |
| Testing | Third-party tested, with the certificate for each lot published on the product page and in the COA portal |
Capsule format, strength, count and storage are from the 9-Me-BC product page. Formula, molecular weight, aliases and structure are from PubChem CID 164979.
See it beside the other compounds on this site in the peptide molecular weight reference table.
What the research covers
Published work on 9-Me-BC falls into six areas. Each summary below states the model used. The evidence is cell, enzyme and animal data from a small number of groups. The protective neuron findings and all of the rat studies come from linked, German-led laboratories that share authors.
Independent groups in Japan and the United States reported toxic effects instead: loss of dopaminergic neurons in mice given 9-Me-BC (Matsubara et al., 1998) and complex I inhibition in mouse brain mitochondria and neuronal cells (Chattopadhyay et al., 2019). PubMed indexes no study in which people received 9-Me-BC (searched October 2026).
Dopaminergic neurons in midbrain culture
In primary mesencephalic (midbrain) cultures, 9-Me-BC lowered lactate dehydrogenase release, the number of propidium iodide-stained cells and caspase-3 activity, raised ATP content and increased the number of differentiated dopaminergic neurons, with higher expression of genes for dopaminergic differentiation such as Nurr1 and Pitx3 and of markers including Th and Dat.
It was anti-proliferative in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells (Hamann et al., 2008). A follow-up reported that tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression rose in neurons already expressing dopa decarboxylase, along with TH-relevant transcription factors, and that neurite outgrowth of TH-positive neurons increased (Polanski et al., 2010). Models: primary midbrain cultures and a human neuroblastoma line.
Toxin models and a toxic relative
In the same culture system, 9-Me-BC protected TH-positive neurons from lipopolysaccharide and from the 2,9-dimethyl-β-carbolinium ion. Added after chronic rotenone exposure, it was followed by regeneration of TH-positive neurons, and it reduced microglial proliferation and α-synuclein protein (Polanski et al., 2010).
The 2,9-dimethyl ion is what forms when a methyl group is added at position 2 of 9-Me-BC, as shown in assays with a bovine brain enzyme activity (Gearhart et al., 1997) and purified phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (Gearhart et al., 2002), and it killed dopaminergic neurons preferentially in mouse midbrain cultures (Hamann et al., 2006).
In rats pretreated for 28 days with the toxin MPP+, 9-Me-BC delivered for 14 days into the left cerebral ventricle reversed the fall in left striatal dopamine, returned nigral TH-positive cell counts to normal values, raised striatal mitochondrial complex I activity by about 80 percent and induced neurotrophic factor genes including BDNF (Wernicke et al., 2010).
In contrast, in mice given 9-Me-BC itself for 7 days, brain levels of the 2,9-dimethyl ion reached 14 times those after norharmane, nigral TH-positive cells fell to 66 percent of control values and the animals showed bradykinesia (Matsubara et al., 1998). In a study of three such compounds including 9-Me-BC, complex I activity and respiration in mouse brain mitochondria were significantly affected in normal mice but not in mice lacking the Cyp2d6 gene locus (Chattopadhyay et al., 2019). Models: midbrain cultures, enzyme assays, rats, mice and a mouse neuronal cell line.
Hippocampus and spatial learning in rats
Rats given 9-Me-BC for 10 days, but not for 5 days, showed better spatial learning in a radial maze, higher dopamine levels in the hippocampal formation, and longer, more complex dendritic trees with more spines on granule neurons of the dentate gyrus (Gruss et al., 2012). In a separate mouse study, 9-Me-BC given for 7 days was followed by bradykinesia with reduced locomotor activity (Matsubara et al., 1998). PubMed indexes no other study of 9-Me-BC on learning. Models: rats and mice.
Astrocytes and monoamine oxidase
In mouse midbrain cultures, 9-Me-BC raised TH-positive neuron numbers by up to 33 percent at 90 µM, but at 150 µM it halved them in cultures depleted of astrocytes. In cortical astrocytes it did not raise a cell-damage marker at 10 to 150 µM, reduced proliferation at 90 and 150 µM, and raised expression of neurotrophic factor genes such as artemin and Bdnf.
With human enzymes it inhibited MAO-A with an IC50 of 1 µM and MAO-B with an IC50 of 15.5 µM (Keller et al., 2020). In human mitochondria, it inhibited the MAO-B-driven oxidation of MPTP to toxic pyridinium products with an IC50 of 7.3 µM, close to norharmane at 9.9 µM (Herraiz and Guillén, 2011). Models: mouse cell cultures, human enzymes and human mitochondria.
Light-activated DNA damage
β-Carbolines, 9-methyl derivatives in particular, are efficient photosensitizers. Under ultraviolet A (UVA) excitation at physiological pH, 9-methyl-norharmane and two related 9-methyl-β-carbolines damaged DNA mainly by oxidizing purine bases, far in excess of oxidized pyrimidines, strand breaks and sites of base loss, and also generated cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (Vignoni et al., 2013).
A comparison of N-methyl-β-carbolines found N9-substituted members the most efficient photosensitizers, and the compounds appeared to accumulate mainly in the mitochondria of HeLa cells (Denofrio et al., 2020). Models: DNA under UVA light and a human cell line. PubMed indexes no animal or human phototoxicity study of 9-Me-BC.
Antiviral screening in cell culture
Of 21 β-carbolines screened against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), 11 had antiviral activity at non-cytotoxic concentrations, and 9-methyl-norharmane was one of three that fully prevented virus-driven cell damage, with a half-maximal effective concentration of 4.9 µM and a selectivity index of 88.8. The three were not virucidal and did not block attachment or entry; they acted at later stages of infection, delaying or suppressing viral protein expression, and also inhibited HSV-2 (Gonzalez et al., 2018). Model: virus-infected cell cultures.
Key studies
- Hamann J, et al. "9-Methyl-beta-carboline up-regulates the appearance of differentiated dopaminergic neurones in primary mesencephalic culture." Neurochem Int. 2008. PMID 17913302. DOI 10.1016/j.neuint.2007.08.018. Primary midbrain cultures: first report of protective and differentiating effects.
- Polanski W, et al. "The exceptional properties of 9-methyl-beta-carboline: stimulation, protection and regeneration of dopaminergic neurons coupled with anti-inflammatory effects." J Neurochem. 2010. PMID 20374418. DOI 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2010.06725.x. Primary midbrain cultures: TH induction and toxin models.
- Wernicke C, et al. "9-Methyl-beta-carboline has restorative effects in an animal model of Parkinson's disease." Pharmacol Rep. 2010. PMID 20360614. DOI 10.1016/s1734-1140(10)70241-3. Rats after MPP+ infusion.
- Gruss M, et al. "9-Methyl-β-carboline-induced cognitive enhancement is associated with elevated hippocampal dopamine levels and dendritic and synaptic proliferation." J Neurochem. 2012. PMID 22380576. DOI 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2012.07713.x. Rats: radial maze and hippocampal anatomy.
- Keller S, et al. "9-Methyl-β-carboline inhibits monoamine oxidase activity and stimulates the expression of neurotrophic factors by astrocytes." J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2020. PMID 32285253. DOI 10.1007/s00702-020-02189-9. Mouse cultures and human MAO enzymes.
- Vignoni M, et al. "Mechanisms of DNA damage by photoexcited 9-methyl-β-carbolines." Org Biomol Chem. 2013. PMID 23842892. DOI 10.1039/c3ob40344k. DNA photosensitization under UVA.
- Gonzalez MM, et al. "β-Carboline derivatives as novel antivirals for herpes simplex virus." Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2018. PMID 30006037. DOI 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2018.06.019. HSV-1 and HSV-2 in cell culture.
Handling and storage of 9-Me-BC capsules
General laboratory practice for this material:
- Store the sealed capsules at 15 to 25°C in the original container, away from moisture and direct light (storage guidance on the product page).
- Capsules ship in a sealed bottle or a resealable pouch, depending on the batch; close it fully after each opening.
- 9-Methyl-β-carbolines act as photosensitizers under UVA light (Vignoni et al., 2013), so shield assay solutions from light as well.
- Record the lot number and keep its certificate with your notes. The certificate reports measured content per capsule, which can differ from the 20MG label figure, so use the measured value for quantitative work.
- For identity checks, compare analytical data with the formula C₁₂H₁₀N₂ and molecular weight 182.22 g/mol.
Frequently asked questions
What is 9-Me-BC?
9-Me-BC is 9-methyl-β-carboline (9-methyl-9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole), the N9-methyl derivative of norharmane, studied mainly in dopaminergic neuron cultures (Hamann et al., 2008) and rats (Wernicke et al., 2010).
Is 9-Me-BC a beta-carboline?
Yes. Its core is the β-carboline ring system of norharmane, with a methyl group added on the indole nitrogen. Harmane, by contrast, is 1-methyl-β-carboline (Herraiz and Chaparro, 2005).
Does 9-Me-BC inhibit monoamine oxidase?
In enzyme assays, yes. It inhibited human MAO-A with an IC50 of 1 µM and MAO-B with an IC50 of 15.5 µM (Keller et al., 2020). Its relatives norharmane and harmane are competitive, reversible MAO inhibitors (Herraiz and Chaparro, 2005).
Are beta-carbolines like 9-Me-BC neurotoxic?
Some are. The 2,9-dimethyl-β-carbolinium ion, formed by methylating 9-Me-BC at position 2, killed dopaminergic neurons in mouse cultures (Hamann et al., 2006). 9-Me-BC itself halved dopaminergic neuron numbers at 150 µM in astrocyte-depleted cultures, a concentration that only slightly lowered them in standard midbrain cultures (Keller et al., 2020). In mice given 9-Me-BC for 7 days, nigral TH-positive neurons fell to 66 percent of control values, brain dopamine and serotonin fell, and brain levels of the 2,9-dimethyl ion were 14 times those after norharmane (Matsubara et al., 1998).
Has 9-Me-BC been tested in people?
No. PubMed indexes no study in which people received 9-Me-BC (searched October 2026); human material appears only as enzymes, tissue preparations and cell lines. Drugs@FDA lists no approved product containing it (openFDA search, October 2026).
Is 9-Me-BC on the WADA Prohibited List?
It is not named on the World Anti-Doping Agency's 2026 Prohibited List. The List's S0 class prohibits at all times any pharmacological substance that no other section of the List addresses and that has no current approval by any governmental regulatory health authority for human therapeutic use.
Where can researchers buy 9-Me-BC?
Disguised Alpha sells 9-Me-BC for laboratory research as 20MG capsules, 60 per bottle (SKU 9MEBC), third-party tested with the certificate published on the product page: 9-ME-BC (9-Methyl-β-carboline).
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This product is for research use only. It has not been evaluated for safety or effectiveness in humans. Not for human consumption. All products are intended for laboratory research purposes only.