Background: Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms contain the tryptamines psilocybin and psilocin, which are recognized for their therapeutic potential in mental health [1]. Additionally, due to their psychedelic effects, these mushrooms are also used for religious and recreational purposes. The increasing use of these tryptamines and other psychoactive substances ha...
Novel psychoactive substances (NPS) remain an ongoing challenge for public health, forensic laboratories, and regulatory agencies, especially when they are chemically related to controlled tryptamines but are marketed as legal alternatives. In the United States, the Federal Analogue Act (FAA) was intended to restrict such substances; however, regulatory loop...
Classic psychedelics such as LSD, psilocybin, and DMT from unregulated markets pose considerable risks through unknown adulterants and potencies. In this chapter, we explore the importance of drug checking in minimizing harm among users of classic psychedelics and examine the opportunities and challenges associated with intervention settings, analytical tech...
Background: Tramadol is a synthetic opioid analgesic prescribed for moderate pain. Psilocybin (4-phosphoryloxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine) is a naturally occurring psychoactive compound found in certain mushrooms, often referred to as "magic mushrooms" and is classified as a Schedule I substance. This case report aimed to present the unexpected detection of psil...
Psilocybe "magic mushrooms" are best known for their indolethylamine psilocybin, yet they encode enzymes for a much more diverse arsenal of small and potentially bioactive molecules. Herein, four Psilocybe cubensis clade III sesquiterpene synthases, CubB-CubE, whose genes are differently expressed in fruiting bodies compared to vegetative mycelium are report...
Psilocybin is a psychedelic compound found in some hallucinogenic "magic mushrooms". Psilocin is the active metabolite of Psilocybin, and it is the subject of several studies for the treatment of psychological disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. As such, the pharmacokinetic properties of psilocin should be evaluated to...
Vacuum-assisted headspace high capacity solid-phase microextraction (Vac-HS-HC-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to compare the volatile compounds that make up the volatile and semi-volatile components of five psilocybin mushrooms (Psilocybe cubensis), as well as three non-psilocybin mushroom species. Using an untargete...
Most illicit drug casework samples at the Israel Police National Drug Laboratory are found to be mixtures of substances. Some are a mixture of an illicit drug with fillers, and others may contain more than one illicit drug. This study was triggered by a routine gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of an unusual casework sample. The sample ch...
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is known to induce powerful psychoactive effects in humans, which cemented its status as an important tool for clinical research. A range of analogues and derivatives has been investigated over the years, including those classified as new psychoactive substances. This study presents the characterization of the novel lysergami...
Psilocin is the active metabolite of psilocybin, a serotonergic psychedelic substance. It is used recreationally and investigated in substance-assisted psychotherapy. The pharmacokinetic properties of psilocin are only partially characterized. Therefore, we developed and validated a rapid LC-MS/MS method to quantify psilocin and its metabolite 4-hydroxyindol...
Abstract Background: The misuse of illicit substances is associated with increased morbidity and mortality; thus, substance abuse is a global health concern. However, a lack of laboratory-based research has limited the scientific assessment of drug misuse in the Arabian Gulf region. Thus, the primary aim of this study was to assess the problem of illicit dru...
Psilocin (4-hydroxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, 4-HO-DMT) and bufotenine (5-hydroxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, 5-HO-DMT), which are both naturally occurring compounds, are classified as controlled substances in numerous countries due to their pharmacological activities and recreational usage. There are two other benzene ring regioisomers, 6-hydroxy-N,N-dimethyltryp...
Fatalities implicating psychedelic mushrooms are not a common clinical situation in everyday forensic medicine. Despite classification as an illegal drug in many countries, psilocybin mushrooms have the reputation of being safe. We report the case of a young man who jumped from a second story balcony under the influence of psilocybin mushrooms. The psilocin ...
In nature, there are >200 species of fungi with hallucinogenic properties. These fungi are classified as Psilocybe, Gymnopilus, and Panaeolus which contain active principles with hallucinogenic properties such as ibotenic acid, psilocybin, psilocin, or baeocystin. In Chile, fungi seizures are mainly of mature specimens or spores. However, clandestine laborat...
Drug abuse is a worldwide problem. Although commonly abused drugs can be identified during routine urine drug testing, less commonly abused drugs may escape detection. These less commonly abused drugs not only include some designer drugs such as synthetic cannabinoid but also include abuse of psychedelic magic mushroom (active ingredients: psilocybin and psi...
Substances of plant origin have been used to induce hallucinations for a long time, in religious ceremonies and rituals as well as in pain relief. Psilocybin and psilocin naturally occur in the fungal genus Psilocybe. Due to the psychedelic effects and relative harmlessness of these substances and the fact that they do not cause physical addiction, psilocybi...
Five Psilocybe species with unresolved systematic position (P. atrobrunnea, P. laetissima, P. medullosa, P. pelliculosa, and P. silvatica) were investigated using four molecular markers (EF1-α, ITS, LSU, and IGS). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that with the exception of P. laetissima, which is now rightfully classified in the genus Leratiomyces, all investi...
This paper compares the use of ATR and transflection spectroscopic techniques for the qualitative analysis of psilocin extracted from hallucinogenic mushrooms and control spiked mushrooms. Both techniques gave comparable results and agreed with prior GC/MS analysis of the actual case samples.
In this experiment, tryptamine is used as a psilocin analog and is dispersed onto a Fisher brand cellulose laboratory sponge to simulate dehydrated mushrooms. The resulting “mushroom” material is ground, molded into chocolate, and presented to student groups for real-world and applied analyses. Students isolate the tryptamine from the chocolate using their k...
