Erowid References Database
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Agurell S, Lundström J, Sandberg F.
“Biosynthesis of mescaline in peyote”.
Tetrahedron Lett. 1967 Jun 17;26:2433-5.
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Abstract
The peyote cactus Lophophora williamsii (Lem.) Coult. (syn. Anhalonium
lewinii Hennings) has been used for centuries by Mexican natives as a hallucinogen. This can be attributed to the presence of mescaline. Both mescaline (II) and the tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids of peyote bear a close structural relation to tyrosine. Our knowledge concerning the biosynthesis of mescaline is limited to the finding by Leete (1) that tyrosine (I R=Hl is a precursor of mescaline and also of anhalonidine. The qualitative
incorporation of radioactivity from tyrosine-2-C l4 into pellotine has also been demonstrated (21. During tne preparation of this manuscript, Battersby et al. (31 published results showing the efficient incorporation of 3,4_dihydroxyphenylethylamine (7.5 $1 and tne methyl group of methionine (1.8 I) into pellotine. We have now investigated the conversion of tyrosine and some of its metabolites to mescaline with special reference to the path leading from tyrosine to mescaline.
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