Lophophorine, also known as N-methylanhalonine, is a tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloid made by various cacti in the Lophophora family.[1][2] Arthur Heffter tried lophophorine at a dose of 20 mg and found that it produced vasodilation, an immediate headache, and a warm flushed feeling, effects which dissipated within an hour.[1][3][4] It has also been said to produce nausea in humans.[3] Conversely, it did not produce hallucinogenic effects.[5][4] Lophophorine is described as highly toxic and produces strychnine-like convulsions in animals.[3] It was first described in the scientific literature by Heffter by 1898.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Daniel M. Perrine (2001). "Visions of the Night Western Medicine Meets Peyote 1887-1899" (PDF). The Heffter Review of Psychedelic Research. 2: 6–52. Lophophorine, because it occurs in such small amounts in peyote, was regarded by Heffter as a priori unlikely to be a significant contributor to its overall effects. When he took 20 mg of lophophorine hydrochloride orally, Heffter experienced after 15 minutes a "strong, painful pressure in the back of the head along with facial warmth and flushing. There was also a slightly decreased pulse rate (from 78 to 70). All effects were gone within 40 minutes" (1898, p. 424).
  2. ↑ Bruhn JG, Lindgren JE, Holmstedt B, Adovasio JM (March 1978). "Peyote alkaloids: identification in a prehistoric specimen of lophophora from coahuila, Mexico". Science. 199 (4336). New York, N.Y.: 1437–1438. Bibcode:1978Sci...199.1437B. doi:10.1126/science.199.4336.1437. PMID 17796678. S2CID 19355963.
  3. 1 2 3 Keeper Trout & friends (2013). "Part C: Cactus Chemistry: Section 1". Trout’s Notes on The Cactus Alkaloids Nomenclature, Physical properties, Pharmacology & Occurrences (Sacred Cacti Fourth Edition (PDF). Mydriatic Productions/Better Days Publishing. Oral dosages of 20 mg. in man [Heffter 1898a] led to a distinct vasodilation and immediate accompanying headache and a warm flushed feeling. These responses were lost within the hour.
  4. 1 2 Heffter A (1898). "Ueber Pellote: Beiträge zur chemischen und pharmakologischen Kenntniss der Cacteen Zweite Mittheilung". Archiv für Experimentelle Pathologie und Pharmakologie (in German). 40 (5–6): 385–429. doi:10.1007/BF01825267. ISSN 0028-1298. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  5. ↑ Mangner TJ (1978). Potential Psychotomimetic Antagonists. N,n -diethyl-1-methyl-3-aryl-1, 2, 5, 6-tetrahydropyridine-5-carboxamides (Ph.D. thesis). University of Michigan. doi:10.7302/11268. Archived from the original on 30 March 2025. In addition to compounds strictly related to mescaline just described, L. williamsii also contains at least 23 variously substituted tetrahydroisoquinolines,95 of which four have been clinically tested. The two phenolic tetrahydroisoquinolines peyotline (63a) and anhalonidine (63b) were found to produce no sensory distortions, characteristic of the effects of mescaline, at doses of up to 250 mg.98 These compounds appear to induce a calming or sedative effect rather than a psychotomimetic one. Two methylenedioxy tetrahydroisoquinolines, lophophorine (64a) and anhalonine (64b), were also found to lack any psychotomimetic-type effects.98
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lophophorine