What is Green Biotechnology and How It Applies to Mental Health

Introduction: the urgency of new solutions

Mental health is facing a silent crisis. Depression, anxiety, and substance dependence rank among the world’s largest public health issues, with immense human and economic impact. In Brazil, more than 20 million people suffer from depression; in the United States, the annual costs of mental disorders and substance abuse reach hundreds of billions of dollars.

Current treatments, mainly based on antidepressants and anxiolytics, present serious limitations: they may take weeks to take effect, cause side effects that compromise quality of life, and fail in up to 30% of patients who remain without adequate therapeutic response.

In this context, interest is growing in green biotechnology as a scientific alternative capable of transforming mental health care. It unites modern science, sustainability, and traditional knowledge to offer innovative therapies.

What is Green Biotechnology

Green biotechnology is a branch of biotechnology that uses living organisms, plants, and sustainable processes to develop solutions that combine technological innovation with environmental responsibility. While red biotechnology is linked to traditional medicine and white biotechnology to industry, green biotechnology pursues cleaner, less polluting pathways with broader social benefits.

Its main pillars include:

• Use of renewable natural resources, reducing dependence on synthetic and polluting inputs;

• Sustainable production, based on circular economy and waste reuse;

• Traceability, ensuring transparency across the production chain;

• Socio-environmental ethics, recognizing the role of involved communities and protecting biodiversity.

In practice, this means transforming medicinal plants into prescription medicines approved by regulatory agencies, while preserving nature and valuing traditional knowledge.

Green Biotechnology and Medicine

In the health field, green biotechnology is emerging as a strategic alternative for the development of prescription phytopharmaceuticals. It is not about empirical use of teas or extracts, but rather the application of scientific rigor to isolate active compounds, ensure purity and standardization, and formulate stable and replicable medicines.

This enables ancestral molecules to be studied and safely administered in clinical settings, achieving global scalability. Traceability is a key factor: from cultivation in controlled areas to formulation in certified laboratories, each step is documented to guarantee quality and predictability of therapeutic outcomes.

This approach also meets increasing regulatory demands. Agencies such as ANVISA require robust scientific evidence to authorize the commercialization of medicines, and green biotechnology makes it possible to meet these standards without sacrificing sustainability.

Ancestral Knowledge as a Foundation

For centuries, Indigenous peoples of the Amazon and other regions have developed healing practices based on sacred plants such as jagube and chacrona, which together form ayahuasca. These traditions, accumulated over generations, pointed to pathways that modern science has only recently begun to explore.

Green biotechnology acknowledges this contribution and transforms what was once restricted to spiritual rituals into safe clinical therapies, always with respect and fair retribution to the communities that safeguard this knowledge. This model includes:

• Formal partnerships with Indigenous peoples;

• Sharing of financial and social benefits;

• Preservation of forests through sustainable cultivation in dedicated areas.

This approach not only strengthens global health but also addresses part of the historical debt of modern science toward the guardians of ancestral knowledge.

Green Biotechnology Applied to Mental Health

One of the most promising fields for green biotechnology is mental health. Substances such as dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and beta-carbolines have shown remarkable therapeutic potential in clinical studies.

These compounds act on the brain in ways distinct from conventional antidepressants:

• Rapidly increase serotonin levels, providing almost immediate relief of depressive symptoms;

• Stimulate neuroplasticity, promoting new neural connections and greater resilience of the nervous system;

• Deliver lasting effects, reducing the need for continuous use and lowering the risk of treatment abandonment;

• Present fewer side effects and low risk of dependence, especially when standardized and clinically administered.

Recent research also highlights their potential in the treatment of alcohol and drug dependence, compulsive disorders, and even neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

The Role of Ayamed

Ayamed positions itself as a pioneer in Brazil by applying green biotechnology to the development of prescription medicines for mental health. Its model combines scientific rigor, pharmaceutical innovation, and socio-environmental responsibility.

Ayamed’s differentiators include:

• International-level pharmaceutical standardization;

• A robust pipeline, with AYA-1 as its first medicine, designed to treat resistant depression and substance dependence;

• Verticalized and traceable production, ensuring raw material quality;

• National intellectual property, protecting the value generated by Brazilian science;

• Strategic partnerships with leading institutions such as Firjan, UFRJ, Embrapii, and Sebrae;

• Commitment to Indigenous peoples, not only as suppliers of resources but as co-authors of innovation.

This model reflects a strong conviction: innovation in health must go hand in hand with ethics, transparency, and positive impact.

Future Perspectives

The future points toward the consolidation of green biotechnology as a key player in mental health treatments. Potential developments include:

• Integration of new medicines into public health systems, expanding access to cutting-edge therapies;

• International expansion, with licensing to major pharmaceutical companies and entry into private health markets;

• Development of new formulations for neurodegenerative diseases, leveraging the neuroprotective potential of studied molecules;

• Consolidation of an ESG model in health, where science, environment, and social responsibility generate shared value.

Brazil, home to the world’s greatest biodiversity, has the potential to become a global reference in this field, leading a movement of ethical and sustainable innovation.

Conclusion

Mental health urgently requires effective solutions. Green biotechnology emerges as one of the most promising responses, combining ancestral knowledge, scientific rigor, and socio-environmental commitment. Its application to the development of prescription medicines opens new perspectives for treating resistant depression, substance dependence, and other disorders that challenge conventional medicine.

More than technological innovation, green biotechnology represents a paradigm shift: proving that it is possible to heal while respecting nature, honoring ancestral wisdom, and transforming science into positive social impact.

Ayamed believes that green biotechnology is the key to revolutionizing mental health. Our mission is to transform natural molecules into safe, effective, and sustainable prescription medicines—benefiting patients, traditional communities, and the planet. Learn more about our projects and discover how we are building a future where science and nature walk together for mental health.