An Overview on the Hallucinogenic Peyote and Its Alkaloid Mescaline: The Importance of Context, Ceremony and Culture
Marjolein Doesburg-Van Kleffens, Amy Marisa Zimmermann-Klemd, Carsten Gründemann
Molecules December 5, 2023 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28247942 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Ayahuasca Mescaline Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Context archaeology Tryptamine Pharmacology Hallucinogen Ecology |
| Citations | 13 |
| Key findings | Mescaline induces psychoactive effects via activation of the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor and subsequent calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum. |
Abstract
Peyote (Lophophora williamsii) is a cactus that contains various biologically active alkaloids—such as pellotine, anhalonidine, hordenine and mescaline. Here, mescaline induces the psychoactive effects of peyote through the activation of the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor and the subsequent release of calcium (Ca2+) from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Moreover, an evaluation of the therapeutic benefits of mescaline is also currently the subject of research. It is important to consider that the outcome of taking a psychedelic drug strongly depends on the mindset of the recipient and the context (set and setting principle), including ceremonies and culture. This overview serves to summarise the current state of the knowledge of the metabolism, mechanism of action and clinical application studies of peyote and mescaline. Furthermore, the benefits of the potential of peyote and mescaline are presented in a new light, setting an example for combining a form of treatment embedded in nature and ritually enriched with our current highly innovative Western medicine.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on mescaline, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study of a New Schizophrenomimetic Drug—Sernyl | 1959 | Review | |
| Hallucinogens and Serotonin 5-HT2A Receptor-Mediated Signaling Pathways | 2017 | Review | |
| Hallucinogens in Mental Health: Preclinical and Clinical Studies on LSD, Psilocybin, MDMA, and Ketamine | 2020 | Review | |
| Legal highs: staying on top of the flood of novel psychoactive substances | 2015 | Review | |
| Psychedelic Drugs in Biomedicine | 2017 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 8
- Hitting the Reset Button: Ceremonial Use of Peyote and Experiences of Personal Change Journal of Drug Issues August 22, 2024
- Knowledge and attitudes about the use of psychedelic drugs among psychiatric professionals in Korea Journal of Psychedelic Studies May 17, 2025
- Chemical ecology and convergent evolution of natural hallucinogens: From ecological defense to conserved neural targets Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences June 24, 2026
- Psychedelics and Autism Therapy: A Review of Current Research and Future Directions Current Issues in Molecular Biology April 18, 2026
- The Ethnopharmacological Use of Mescaline for Psychiatric Disorders: A Systematic Review International Journal of Molecular Sciences March 28, 2026
and 3 more in the library
Cites 38
- Set and setting, psychedelics and the placebo response: An extra-pharmacological perspective on psychopharmacology Journal of Psychopharmacology November 16, 2016
- Constructing drug effects: A history of set and setting Drug Science, Policy and Law 2017
- Receptor interaction profiles of novel psychoactive tryptamines compared with classic hallucinogens. European Neuropsychopharmacology May 20, 2016
- Hallucinogens and Serotonin 5-HT2A Receptor-Mediated Signaling Pathways Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences 2017
- Transcriptome Fingerprints Distinguish Hallucinogenic and Nonhallucinogenic 5-Hydroxytryptamine 2A Receptor Agonist Effects in Mouse Somatosensory Cortex Journal of Neuroscience October 1, 2003
and 33 more in the library