Natural Product Communications
April 20, 2026
Bruce K. Cassels
11 citations
Cactus alkaloids have been studied for 120 years. Early work identified classic compounds; later research isolated many similar analogs. Synthesis is straightforward, but biosynthesis, especially of isoquinoline alkaloids, remains poorly understood. Mescaline's pharmacology has been studied extensively due to its striking effects, while hordenine and tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids have received less attention and are often considered inactive. However, some recorded activities of tetrahydroisoquinolines suggest a need for further study, particularly regarding their co-administration with mescaline in dried cacti and cactus beverages.
Natural Product Communications
April 1, 2015
Leandro A. Moreira, Maria M. Murta, Claudia C. Gatto et al.
3 citations
Bufotenine, a compound found in seeds of the Anadenanthera tree native to the Brazilian cerrado, was extracted using an acid-base method. The researchers developed a new, short process to convert bufotenine into N,N-dimethyltryptamine and 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, involving a novel bufotenine-aminoborane complex. They also established a straightforward method to produce 5-hydroxy-N,N,N-trimethyltryptamine from bufotenine. This work presents bufotenine as a source for producing N,N-dimethyltryptamines for pharmacological, toxicological, or synthetic use.
Natural Product Communications
October 1, 2012
Bojidarka Ivanova, Michael Spiteller
2 citations
A validated analytical protocol using electronic absorption spectroscopy achieves a limit of detection of 7.2 × 10⁻⁷ mol/L and a limit of quantification of 24 × 10⁻⁷ mol/L for mixtures of hallucinogens including N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and its derivatives in the presence of β-carbolines. Additional protocols using HPLC, ESI-MS, MS/MS, MALDI-MS, and Raman spectroscopy are partially validated. The known synergistic effect that increases psychoactive properties and reported acute poisoning cases from these compounds underscore the need for such precise analytical methods, which are relevant to criminal forensic analysis.