CORRELATION OF MESCALINE CONCENTRATIONS IN LOPHOPHORA WILLIAMSII (CACTACEAE) WITH RIB NUMBERS AND DIAMETER OF CROWN (U.S.A.)

• Published in: Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas 2020-07, Vol.14 (1), p.103-120
• Main Authors: Newbold, Richard, De Silva, Sohan, Terry, Martin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ETHNOBOTANY
• ISSN: 1934-5259; 2644-1608
• DOI: 10.17348/jbrit.v14.i1.901

Lophophora williamsii, peyote, is a small cactus growing to approximately 10 cm in diameter with a flat to dome-shaped spineless crown with fissures or ribs that develop following the Fibonacci series and whose numbers indicate relative degree of maturing. In this study crown tissue of 30 wild-collected specimens was analyzed to determine whether there was a correlation between the concentration of the primary alkaloid mescaline in crown tissue with the average diameter of the crown. We also compared mescaline concentration in three groups of ten individuals: 5 ribs (juvenile stage), 8 ribs (intermediate), and 13 ribs (elder/mature stage), since these Fibonacci numbers are the most stable and long-lasting on L. williamsii. This was designed to test the hypothesis that there is a positive correlation between mescaline concentration and both diameter and rib number. Nine greenhouse-grown specimens were likewise analyzed to serve as a control group for the study. All 39 tissue samples were subjected to an alkaloid extraction procedure followed by an acid-base washing procedure. Mescaline was identified using liquid-chromatography and mass spectroscopy and then quantified using reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography. The Pearson's Chi-squared test showed no statistical correlation between increasing mescaline concentration and increasing rib numbers for field-collected samples and greenhouse-raised control samples. Field-collected samples: P-value of 0.392; greenhouse control samples: P-value of 0.313. Similarly, field and greenhouse samples showed no statistical correlation between mescaline concentration and average diameter of the crown. Field-collected samples: P-value of 0.251; greenhouse control samples: P-value of 0.229. This study contributes to the understanding of this vulnerable species and to approaches to its overall conservation and the preservation of Native American culture. Lophophora williamsii es un pequeño cactus que crece hasta aproximadamente 10 cm de diámetro, con una corona sin espinas entre plana y domo. En las especies de cactus con fisuras en las costillas, el número de costillas puede ayudar a determinar una etapa relativa aproximada de desarrollo; costillas se desarrollan siguiendo la serie Fibonacci, con el número de costillas aumentando a medida que un individuo madura. En este estudio se analizó el tejido de la corona de 30 especímenes silvestres recogidos para determinar si había una correlación entre la concentració