The Alkaloids from and Other "False Peyotes".

Commonly, false peyote refers to . However, several other unrelated cacti go by this colloquial name. They either resemble "true" peyote, , or are found in similar habitats. To date, over 40 different alkaloids have been isolated from the genus. Of these, only the pharmacological actions of mescaline () have been extensively investigated. The major alkaloid in is pellotine (), a tetrahydroisoquinoline (THIQ), which was briefly marketed as a sleeping aid around the beginning of the 20th century, following reports of its hypnotic properties in humans. Pharmacological experiments with the THIQs were performed at the turn of the 20th century, whereas the chemical synthesis was not realized until several decades later. The biosynthetic pathways of the main alkaloids were reported at the end of the 1960s. In this review, the relationship of the different "false peyotes" to , in regard to their alkaloid content, the bio- and chemical synthesis of the most relevant alkaloids, and their corresponding pharmacology will be outlined and discussed.