Peyote, Lophophora

Peyote (Lophophora williamsii) is a small, spineless cactus that grows in the deserts of northern Mexico and the Rio Grande valley (Anderson 1996 Schultes and Hofman 1980) (figure 9.5). It was originally classified as Anhalonium williamsii, until reassigned to the Lophophora genus. Another related species is Lophophora diffusa. 

Peyote (Lophophora williamsii). Reprinted from Barron et al., "The Hallucinogenic Drugs." Scientific American. April 1964, p. 210. Illustration by Alex Semenoick. 

The Cactaceae are indigenous to the New World. They are economically important as ornamentals the fruits of Opuntia arc used as food the peyote (Lophophora wilUamsii) is a well-known hallucinogen. 

Aromatic amino acids that originate from the shikimate pathway also act as precursors to many alkaloids. Alkaloids that contain a phenylethylamine moiety are derived from L-tyrosine or its oxidation product L-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA). Mescaline (N7) originating from the latter amino acid is known to occur in several cacti and is responsible for the hallucinogenic activity of peyote (Lophophora williamsii, Cactaceae). Lophocerine is a tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloid derived from L-dopamine and found to occur in a different Lophophora species, L. schotti. 

HERBS IN MAGIC AND ALCHEMY Peyote Lophophora williamsii... 

Mescaline or Peyote (Lophophora Williamsii), does not appear to be physically harmful or addictive in any way. It can often be used therapeutically in situations where LSD cannot, because of its lesser strength and other properties. Peyote is presently legal in some states for religious ceremonies only, and illegal for all other purposes. 

McQeary, J A. etal i960. Antibiotic activity of an extract of peyote Lophophora wUUamsii [Lemaire] Coulter) Economic Botany i4 z) 247-249. 

Rao, G.S. 1970. Identity of peyocactin, an antibiotic from peyote Lophophora mil-liamsii), An6.hoTAe.ninE Journal ofPhar-macy and Pharmacology 22 544—545. 

Morgan, G.R. 19 83B. Hispano-Indian trade of an Indian ceremonial plant, peyote Lophophora williamsii ), on the Mustang Plains oiTsxM Journal of Ethnopharm-acologj/319-321,... 

Schultes, R.E. 1937B. Peyote (Lophophora williamsii) and plants conllised with it Botanical Museum Leaflets Harvard University 5(5) 61-88. Reprint March 1976. 

Schultes, R-E. 193 8. The appeal of peyote Lophophora wiUiamsii) as a medicine American Anthropologist 698—715. 

Peyote Lophophora williamsii, syn. Anhalonium williamisii) is a cactus and member of the family Cactaceae, and grows wild in the deserts of Mexico and the southern United States [Ij.The cactus is also cultivated in Japan as a decorative plant and known as Ubatama. ... 

Peyote, Lophophora williamsii, appears to be the most prolific cactus, in terms of alkaloid production. In addition to mescaline and other 3-phenylethylamines, this cactus contains anhalamine (1), anhaladine (10), anhalonidine (11), pellotine (2), anhalanine (12), anhalonine (13), lophophorine (14), and O-methylanhalonidine (Lundstrom, 1983). 

The chemistry, synthesis, and biogenesis of peyote, Lophophora williamsii (Lemaire) Coult., and other cactus alkaloids have been thoroughly reviewed. 

An important series of in vivo experiments by Kapadia and his colleagues using [ C]-labeled precursors has led to a substantial advance in our understanding of the biogenesis of tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids. iV-Acetyl-3-demethylmescaline can act as a precursor for a variety of peyote alkaloids since administration of this amide, labeled as indicated, to peyote, Lophophora williamsii (Lemaire) Coult., generated radioactive anhalamine and anhalonidine. 

Mescaline A catecholamine hallucinogen, obtained from the peyote cactus (Lophophora williamsii). 

Peyote is a common term for two species of cactus, Lophophora williamsii and L. diffusa, native to Mexico and Texas. Archaeological specimens suggest that peyote has been used ceremonially for perhaps as many as 8,000 years. Known to the Aztecs as peyotl, the ritual use of this cactus has persisted among... 

The natural prototype for the phenylalkylamines is mescaline (Structure 1), isolated from the peyote cactus (Lophophora williamsii) by Heffter in 1896 (100) and subsequently obtained synthetically by Spath in 1919 (218). Used for many centuries in the form of peyote by Indians in Mexico and the American Southwest (3), it is often referred to as one of the classic hallucinogens, along with psilocybin, psilocin, and LSD. Little structure-activity work was directed toward mescaline or its congeners until 1955, when Peretz et al. (174) reported that a-methyl mescaline (TMA) (8), which represented a hybrid of the structure... 

Mescaline and related alkaloids are found in varying amounts in cacti of the genera Lophophora, Gymnacalycium, Stensonia, Mammillaria, Ariocarpus, Opuntia, Trichocereus, Pelecyphora, and probably others. Members of the Native American Church do quite well with the dried cactus, but extraction of mescaline is desirable since the pure compound seems to produce fewer unpleasant side effects (e.g., nausea). For an excellent review on the occurrence and chemistry of the mescaline type compounds, see JPS 59,1699(1970) (cf. JPS 60,655(1971)). Various species of these cacti occur in southwestern U.S. as well as Central and South America and have been used by the Aztecs and others for millennia. For a good review of peyote see Lloydia 36,1-58(1973). 

A number of very important natural and synthetic biochemicals belong to the phenylethylamine family. Two of these compounds, dopamine and epinephrine (adrenaline), are neurotransmitters, substances that carry chemical messages through the nervous system of humans and other animals. A third phenylethylamine, tyrosine, is an essential amino acid. And a familiar phenylethylamine found in plants is mescaline, whose chemical name is 2-(3,4,5-trimethoxy-phenyl)ethylamine. The primary natural sources of mescaline are four varieties of cactus two peyote species (Lophophora wiUiamsii and Lophophora diffusa), the San Pedro cactus (Trichocereus pacha-noi), and the Peruvian Torch cactus (Trichocereus peruvianus). 

The better-known and widely used hallucinogenic plants are San Isidro mushroom Psilocyhe cubensis), ergot Claviceps), soma Amanita muscaria), peyote Cactus lophophora), yage (or ayahuasca), the vision vine of the Amazon Banisteriopsis caapi), cannabis Cannabis sativa and indica) and perhaps coca Erythroxylum novo-gratense). 

Figure 5. An example of protoalkaloids. Mescaline is the alkaloid derived from L-tyrosine and extracted from the Peyote cactns (Lophophora williamsii) belonging to the Cactns family (Cactaceae). MescaUne has strong psychoactive and haUncinogenic properties. Peyote cactns grows in the desert areas of northern Mexico and the sonthern parts of the USA. This plant was nsed in Pre-Colnmhian America in the shamanic practice of local tribes.

Mescaline is an alkaloid isolated from the peyote cactus, species Lophophora williamsii or Anhalonium lewinii, that grows in the southwestern United States and in Mexico. Mescaline is found in buttons that grow on top of the plant. Aztec and Native American Indians used the buttons in religious rites and for treatment of snakebite, flu, and arthritis. Some street names include bad seed, blue caps, cactus buttons, devils root, mesc, moon, peyote, shaman, and tops. 

Which brings us back to the mushrooms, and the topic of the law. In the original writing of the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, our Federal drug law, there are only four plants listed as being "Scheduled Drugs." In Schedule I there was Marijuana (later defined as the plant Cannabis spp.) and Peyote (later defined as the botanical Lophophora williamsii) in Schedule II there was Opium poppy and poppy straw, and Coca leaves. It is generally known that commercial opium comes from the plant Papaver somniferum and that commercial coca comes... 

Another naturally occurring drug that is similar to amphetamine can be found in the cactus Lophophora williamsii. Extracts are used to prepare a drink called peyote that contains 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl-ethylamine(the meth and phenyl point to a molecule that is quite lipid soluble). Known as mescaline, this compound is structurally similar to the catecholamines dopamine and norepinephrine but seems to act more directly upon serotonin receptors because of the presence of the meth-oxy groups on the molecule. This feature of the compound s structure would make the compound more fat-soluble and therefore better able to enter the brain quickly and may explain... 

Mescaline (peyote) is one such drug that has a cultural history dating from before the time of Christ as well as a separate history as a street drug. It is derived mainly from two members of the Cactaceae family—the peyote cactus (Lophophora williamsii) and the San Pedro cactus (Trichocereus pachanoi). 

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