Aniracetam
Nootropics
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Also known as: PRL 8-53, PRL8-53, Methyl 3-(2-(benzyl(methyl)amino)ethyl)benzoate hydrochloride, 3-(2-benzylmethylaminoethyl)benzoic acid methyl ester hydrochloride
PRL-8-53 is a benzoic acid ester with a benzylmethylamino side chain, first described by N. R.
Half-life: Not establishedRoute: OralMW: 319.83 g/mol (hydrochloride salt)CAS: 51352-87-5
Last reviewed:
Overview
At A Glance
Mechanism
Unknown. No target identification, receptor binding profile or mechanistic study has been published for PRL-8-53 in any species. The 1974 report by Hansl described the compound as a spasmolytic and central nervous system active agent and examined it in animal experiments alongsid…
Half-Life
Not established. No pharmacokinetic study in humans or in any animal species has been published for PRL-8-53.
Routes
Oral
Potential Benefits
Improved retention of verbal information in a double-blind study in human subjects using the serial anticipation method, with most p values better than 0.01 (PMID: 418433)Produced slight improvement of acquisition of verbal material in the same human study (PMID: 418433)Produced no change in visual reaction time or motor control compared with placebo in human subjects, which argues against a general stimulant effect (PMID: 418433)Described as centrally active in animal experiments in the original 1974 report (PMID: 4824605)
Overview
PRL-8-53 is a benzoic acid ester with a benzylmethylamino side chain, first described by N. R. Hansl in a 1974 note in Experientia that presented it as a spasmolytic and central nervous system active agent studied in animals (PMID: 4824605). It is an outlier among the compounds sold as nootropics: almost everything claimed for it traces back to a single small human study published in 1978, and there has been essentially no follow-up research in nearly fifty years. That 1978 study, by Hansl and Mead in Psychopharmacology, tested the effect of low oral doses on learning and retention of verbal information under double-blind conditions using the serial anticipation method. The authors reported slight improvement of acquisition and statistically significant improvement of retention of verbal information, with most p values better than 0.01 and some better than 0.001, and no significant change in visual reaction time or motor control compared with placebo (PMID: 418433). PubMed indexes it as a randomized controlled trial. It was never replicated, and the widely repeated claim that volunteers doubled their memory comes from secondary retellings of subgroup results rather than from an independent trial. Searching PubMed for the acronym PRL-8-53 returns exactly one record, the 1978 human study. There is no published pharmacokinetic study, no repeat-dose toxicology, no receptor binding profile, no modern animal replication and no registered clinical trial. The mechanism is therefore unknown. The compound is a substituted phenethylamine derivative, and the 1974 report described central activity in animals alongside effects on blood pressure and interactions with apomorphine and methamphetamine, but no target has been identified and no mechanistic paper exists. Any confident mechanistic statement about PRL-8-53, including the frequently repeated claims about dopamine, acetylcholine or GABA, is not supported by published primary literature. The material sold to consumers is the hydrochloride salt, which is what the chemistry values on this page describe; the free base has a molecular weight of 283.4 g/mol (PubChem CID 39989). Purity and identity of the powder on the research chemical market have never been the subject of a published analysis, which matters more for a compound with one 47-year-old study behind it than for one with a modern regulatory dossier. PRL-8-53 has never been approved as a medicine in any jurisdiction, has never entered formal drug development, is not a controlled substance in the United States and has no established safe exposure level in humans. It should be read as a historical curiosity with an unusually strong reputation relative to the evidence supporting it, not as a characterized drug. Anyone weighing the compound should treat the total absence of safety data as the central fact about it.
Potential Research Fields
Memory and retentionHistorical nootropicsResearch chemicals
Chemical Information
IUPAC Name
Not yet available
CAS Number
51352-87-5
Molecular Formula
C18H22ClNO2
Molecular Mass
319.83 g/mol (hydrochloride salt)
Dosing & Protocols
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Interactions
Contraindications
None established. No toxicology, drug interaction, pregnancy, lactation, hepatic impairment or renal impairment data have been published for PRL-8-53 in humans or in animals. The only human exposure on record is a single 1978 study (PMID: 418433). With no pharmacokinetic profile and no repeat-dose data, there is no evidence base from which to define who should avoid it, which is itself a reason for caution.
Research Disclaimer
This interaction data is compiled from published research and community reports. It may not be exhaustive. Always consult a healthcare professional before combining compounds.
Best Price
$64.99
Best $/mg
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Vendors
1
Listings
1
capsule
Form
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| Vendor | Product | Form | Qty | Price | $/mg | Coupon | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
PRL-8-53 capsules (60) | capsule | 60 capsules● In Stock | $64.99BEST | — | — |
Current low
$64.99
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Tracking since Sep 7, 2026 · 1 data point
Vendors Selling PRL-8-53
How we score these vendors
Every supplier above is graded 0 to 100 on COA verification, payment transparency, shipping, reviews, and active listings. Methodology published, no pay-to-rank.
Related Compounds
View All9-Me-BC (9-Methyl-β-carboline)
NootropicsPreclinical9-Methyl--carboline (9-Me-BC) is a synthetic -carboline alkaloid that has drawn nootropic-community interest for a preclinical property that is genuinely unusual among -carbolines: in rodent and cell-culture studies it appears to stimulate the dopaminergic phenotype - raising tyrosine hydroxylase, the number of differentiated dopamine neurons and dopamine content - while also showing neuroprotective, neurorestorative and anti-inflammatory effects, plus in-vitro MAO-A/MAO-B inhibition [PMID:17913302, PMID:20374418, PMID:32285253].
t½ Not characterized in humans (no pharmacokinetic data). Community/anecdotal only: ~5-25 mg per day, oral. No validated or approved human dose exists.
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Aniracetam
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t½ About half an hour for the parent drug in humans. Plasma elimination half-life was 0.47 to 0.49 hours after a single 400 mg oral dose in 20 healthy male volunteers (PMID: 19025058). Aniracetam is extensively metabolized to N-anisoyl-GABA and anisic acid; in six elderly hospitalized patients with cerebrovascular disease and reduced creatinine clearance, metabolite half-life was 4 to 7 times longer than in young volunteers (PMID: 9062694).
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t½ Not established in humans; in healthy volunteers given a single 250 mg oral dose of the Metaprot capsule form, peak serum ethylthiobenzimidazole averaged 0.91 microg/mL at about 1.06 h, and no terminal half-life was reported (PMID: 21870773)
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Bromantane
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t½ Not characterized in humans. Dihexa was engineered for metabolic stability (resistant to plasma and enzymatic degradation) and blood-brain-barrier penetration; in preclinical work its central procognitive effects appear to outlast its plasma presence. 5 to 40 mg oral per day (anecdotal range; no established human dose)
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View Full Dosage Guide →
Protocols, calculator & safety for PRL-8-53
Research Score
30
0 PubMed results
Quality Indicators
Data Completeness
63%Description
Mechanism of Action
Chemical Data
Dosing Protocols
Safety Profile
PubMed Results
Interactions
Vendor Listings
COA Verification
0
Verified COAs
1
Vendors w/ COA
Latest test: 9/16/2026
Quick Facts
Half-Life
Not established. No pharmacokinetic study in humans or in any animal species has been published for PRL-8-53.
Molecular Weight
319.83 g/mol (hydrochloride salt)
Administration
Oral
CAS Number
51352-87-5
Trial Phase
Discontinued
Research Disclaimer
This information is for educational and research purposes only. Not intended as medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional before use.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PRL-8-53 used for in research?
PRL-8-53 is a benzoic acid ester with a benzylmethylamino side chain, first described by N. R. Hansl in a 1974 note in Experientia that presented it as a spasmolytic and central nervous system active agent studied in animals (PMID: 4824605). It is an outlier among the compounds sold as nootropics: almost everything claimed for it traces back to a single small human study published in 1978, and there has been essentially no follow-up research in nearly fifty years.
That 1978 study, by Hansl and Mead in Psychopharmacology, tested the effect of low oral doses on learning and retention of verbal information under double-blind conditions using the serial anticipation method. The authors reported slight improvement of acquisition and statistically significant improvement of retention of verbal information, with most p values better than 0.01 and some better than 0.001, and no significant change in visual reaction time or motor control compared with placebo (PMID: 418433). PubMed indexes it as a randomized controlled trial. It was never replicated, and the widely repeated claim that volunteers doubled their memory comes from secondary retellings of subgroup results rather than from an independent trial.
Searching PubMed for the acronym PRL-8-53 returns exactly one record, the 1978 human study. There is no published pharmacokinetic study, no repeat-dose toxicology, no receptor binding profile, no modern animal replication and no registered clinical trial. The mechanism is therefore unknown. The compound is a substituted phenethylamine derivative, and the 1974 report described central activity in animals alongside effects on blood pressure and interactions with apomorphine and methamphetamine, but no target has been identified and no mechanistic paper exists. Any confident mechanistic statement about PRL-8-53, including the frequently repeated claims about dopamine, acetylcholine or GABA, is not supported by published primary literature.
The material sold to consumers is the hydrochloride salt, which is what the chemistry values on this page describe; the free base has a molecular weight of 283.4 g/mol (PubChem CID 39989). Purity and identity of the powder on the research chemical market have never been the subject of a published analysis, which matters more for a compound with one 47-year-old study behind it than for one with a modern regulatory dossier.
PRL-8-53 has never been approved as a medicine in any jurisdiction, has never entered formal drug development, is not a controlled substance in the United States and has no established safe exposure level in humans. It should be read as a historical curiosity with an unusually strong reputation relative to the evidence supporting it, not as a characterized drug. Anyone weighing the compound should treat the total absence of safety data as the central fact about it.
What forms does PRL-8-53 come in?
PRL-8-53 is available in capsule form.
How do I compare PRL-8-53 vendors?
Compare prices, payment methods, shipping, and COA scores across 1 vendor.
How many vendors sell PRL-8-53, and what does it cost per mg?
1 of the vendors BodyHackGuide tracks list PRL-8-53 (1 listing). The lowest listed price BodyHackGuide has recorded for PRL-8-53 is $64.99. No PRL-8-53 listing recorded as in stock carries a milligram count, so BodyHackGuide states no price per milligram for PRL-8-53.
Which vendors have third-party COAs for PRL-8-53 on file at BodyHackGuide?
BodyHackGuide holds no third-party certificate records for PRL-8-53. Each vendor page on BodyHackGuide shows how many certificate records BodyHackGuide holds for that vendor.
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PreclinicalView Profile
Bemethyl (bemitil)
NootropicsApproved (Russia)Bemethyl, known in the Russian literature as bemitil and sold in the region under names including Metaprot, Bemactor and Antihot, is 2-ethylthiobenzimidazole, normally handled as the hydrobromide salt.
t½ Not established in humans; in healthy volunteers given a single 250 mg oral dose of the Metaprot capsule form, peak serum ethylthiobenzimidazole averaged 0.91 microg/mL at about 1.06 h, and no terminal half-life was reported (PMID: 21870773)
PreclinicalView Profile
Bromantane
NootropicsRussia ApprovedBromantane is an atypical psychostimulant and anxiolytic developed in the 1980s at the Zakusov Institute of Pharmacology of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, originally created as an adaptogen for Soviet military and elite athletic use and later approved in Russia for the treatment of neurasthenic and asthenic disorders under the trade name Ladasten.
34 PubMedView Profile
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t½ Not characterized in humans. Dihexa was engineered for metabolic stability (resistant to plasma and enzymatic degradation) and blood-brain-barrier penetration; in preclinical work its central procognitive effects appear to outlast its plasma presence. 5 to 40 mg oral per day (anecdotal range; no established human dose)
1 PubMedView Profile
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