PDR for Herbal Medicines

588/PETASITES PDR FOR HERBAL MEDICINES

Roth L, Daunderer M, Kormann K, Giftpflanzen, Pflanzengifte,

4. Aufl., Ecomed Fachverlag Landsberg Lech 1993.
   Teuscher E, Lindequist U, Biogene Gifte - Biologie, Chemie,
   Pharmakologie, 2. Aufl., Fischer Verlag Stuttgart 1994.
   Wichtl M (Hrsg.), Teedrogen, 4. Aufl., Wiss. Verlagsges.
   Stuttgart 1997.

Petasites hybridus

See Petasites

Petroselinum crispum

See Parsley

Peucedanum ostruthium

See Masterwort

Peumus boldo

See Boldo

Peyote

Lophophora williamsii

DESCRIPTION

Medicinal Paris: 'The^medicinal parts are the "pincushion-

like, aerial, transversely cut and dried, tough-corky shoot,

and the fresh plant.

Flower and Fruit: The flowers grow from the center of the

cactus head. They are 1 to 2.5 cm long and 1 to 2.2 cm

across. The outer petals are green with a darker middle stripe

and have green-pink or white margins. The filaments are

white with yellow anthers. The ovary is glabrous. The fruit is

a 15 to 20 mm long berry, which is 2 to 3.5 mm across,

sturdy, clavate, initially fleshy, glabrous and red. It turns

brown-white and dries out when ripe. The seeds are black,

rough, 1 to 1.5 mm long and 1 mm wide.

Leaves, Stem and Root: The plant is a succulent, spineless,
globular or top-shaped, bluish-green cactus with up to 13
distinct vertical ribs. It grows to 20 cm. From one rhizome
side shoots are produced to create a cactus formation of 1.5
m across. The roots are tuberous and 8 to 11 cm long. The

aerial part has a diameter of 4 to 12 cm, and the pressed-in

top is filled with gray, woolly bushels of hair. The head is

divided into irregular flat warts by horizontal grooves.

Roundish aueroles of paintbrush-like yellowish or whitish

tufts of hair grow from the tip of the warts.

m

Habitat: The plant grows in northern Mexico and bordering

southern Texas.

Production: Mescal Button stem consists of the pincushion-

like cactus Lophophora willamsii, cut into slices and dried.

The root and hair tuft of the Peyote plant are cut off.

Particularly mescaline and chlorophyll-rich center is dried as

a slice. This slice is referred to as the Mescal Button.

Other Names: Pellote, Mescal Buttons, Devil's Root, Dump-

ling Cactus, Sacred Mushroom

ACTIONS AND PHARMACOLOGY

COMPOUNDS

Alkaloids phenylethylamine type: chief among them mesca-

line (up to 7%), hordenine; tetrahydroisoquinoline type:

including among others pellotin, anhalonidine, anhalamine

EFFECTS

Peyote has an emetic and a hallucinogenic effect. The

psychotropic effects of Peyote consumption are mainly due %

to the mescaline content. Controlled pharmacological studies

on the Peyote cactus are unknown. Mescal beans cause

visual, auditory, taste and kinesthetic hallucinations.

INDICATIONS AND USAGE

Unproven Uses: Peyote is rarely used as a medicinal

preparation. In folk medicine, Peyote is one of the oldest

hallucinogens.

PRECAUTIONS AND ADVERSE REACTIONS

Due to its mescaline content, the drug causes chiefly visual,

but also aural, kinesthetic and synesthetic hallucinations

when taken in dosages of between 4 and 12 dried slices of

the sprout (so-called Mescal Buttons: diameter 3 to 4.5 cm,

thickness 0.5 cm).

DOSAGE

Mode of Administration: Peyote is obsolete as a drug; it is

often ingested illegally for its hallucinogenic effect.

LITERATURE —

Hansel R, Keller K, Rimpler H, Schneider G (Hrsg.), Hagers ^

Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, 5. Aufl., Bde 4-6

(Drogen), Springer Verlag Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, 1992-

1994.

Kapadia GJ, Fayez MB, (1970) J Pharm Sci 59:1699.

Madaus G, Lehrbuch der Biologischen Arzneimittel, Bde 1-3,

Nachdruck, Georg Olms Verlag Hildesheim 1979 (unter

Anhalonium).