Ecstasy Analogues Found in Cacti
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs June 1, 2008 Jan G. Bruhn, Hesham R. Ei-Seedi, Nikolai Stephanson et al. 11 citations
Three new minor alkaloids—lophophine, homopiperonylamine, and lobivine—have been identified in peyote (Lophophora williamsii) and San Pedro (Trichocereus pachanoi) cacti. These are the first psychoactive phenethylamines other than mescaline reported in these species. The discovery suggests that substances resembling Ecstasy may occur naturally, and further investigation of biosynthetic analogues could clarify structure-activity relationships of mescaline. The findings raise the question of whether such natural compounds can be considered designer drugs.