Two dried peyote buttons from the Witte Museum in San Antonio were radiocarbon dated and chemically analyzed. The calibrated radiocarbon age of the samples corresponds to 3780-3660 BC. Alkaloid extraction yielded about 2% alkaloids, and mescaline was identified in both samples using thin-layer chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. No other peyote alkaloids were found. These are the oldest plant drugs ever to yield a major bioactive compound upon chemical analysis. The identification of mescaline suggests that native North Americans recognized the psychotropic properties of peyote as long as 5700 years ago.
Mescaline, a psychedelic compound found in certain cacti, shows promise in traditional medicine practices across various cultures. A study involving 200 participants revealed that 75% reported significant improvements in mental well-being after mescaline use. The geographical distribution of these cacti highlights their ecological importance, while taxonomy studies emphasize their unique botanical characteristics. Additionally, archaeology and natural history research underscore the historical significance of mescaline in indigenous healing rituals, suggesting a deep-rooted connection between psychedelics and cultural medicinal practices.
Alkaloid extracts from a prehistoric specimen of the peyote cactus (Lophophora), found in a burial cave in west central Coahuila, Mexico, contain mescaline, anhalonine, lophophorine, pellotine, and anhalonidine. Radiocarbon dating places the specimen between A.D. 810 and 1070, making it one of the oldest archaeological samples ever subjected to alkaloid analysis. The identification demonstrates that these psychoactive compounds have been present in the region for over a thousand years, supporting the deep historical use of peyote in Indigenous rituals and medicine.
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.