Magic truffles or Philosopher's stones: a legal way to sell psilocybin?
Drug Testing and Analysis – August 09, 2012
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
"Magic truffles," sold as a source of hallucinogenic compounds, contain only psilocybin, not psilocin. A precise chemistry method using liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization and selected reaction monitoring quantified psilocybin content. This analytical approach, vital for psychedelics and drug studies, revealed concentrations ranging from 59.3 to 167.8 µg per 100 mg of fresh sclerotia. The method, involving chemical analysis of these alkaloids, showed excellent linearity (r^2 > 0.99) and detection limits of 0.3 µg per 100 mg. This work informs complementary and alternative medicine studies.
Abstract
“Magic mushrooms” is the most common name given to hallucinogenic fungi containing the psychoactive alkaloids psilocybin and psilocin. In recent years, fungis' sclerotia, commonly called “magic truffles” have become a form of supply of psychoactive Psilocybe alkaloids since Psilocybe sclerotia are not specifically included in the laws banning the sale, the purchase and the use of such substances and mushrooms containing them. A liquid chromatography –tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) method was developed for the rapid determination of psilocybin and psilocin in Psilocybe sclerotia. Following a simple step extraction with methanol, the alkaloids were separated on a reversed‐phase column using a gradient of 0.1% formic acid – acetonitrile s a mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.2 mL/min.. Separated analytes were detected by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry in the positive ion mode using multiple reaction monitoring. The developed method was linear over the calibration range for all two substances under investigation, with a r 2 > 0.99. The detection and quantification limits were 0.3 µg and 1 µg per 100 mg truffles, for both psilocin and psilocybin and the intra‐ and inter‐day coefficients of variation were always better than 15%. Using this method, the presence of only psilocybin was demonstrated in examined Psilocybe sclerotia. The content of psilocybin was found to vary over a concentration range of 59.3 to 167.8 µg per 100 mg of fresh sclerotia. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.