The Detection of Psilocin in Human Urine
Journal of Forensic Sciences – May 01, 2001
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Detecting psilocin, the active psychedelic compound, in urine is now dramatically more sensitive. Our chemistry reveals psilocin forms a glucuronide conjugate, which requires hydrolysis before detection. Applying this improved method, involving derivatization and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, allowed us to confirm psilocin in 6 out of 8 urine samples (75%), ranging from 10 ng/mL to over 200 ng/mL. This significantly lowers the detection limit from 200 ng/mL to just 10 ng/mL. This advance in forensic toxicology and drug analysis is crucial for understanding psychedelics and their neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior.
Abstract
Abstract Pharmacokinetic studies of psilocybin in humans have shown the rapid dephosphorylation of psilocybin to psilocin with further conversion to 4-hydroxy-tryptophole (4HT) and 4-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (4HIAA) in plasma. Our study shows that psilocin also undergoes conjugation and can be found in the urine as the psilocin-glucuronide conjugate. Recoveries after enzymatic hydrolysis of the urine with β-glucuronidase (Helix Pomatia or E. Coli) when compared to non-hydrolyzed urine confirmed the presence of the glucuronide. Detection of psilocin from hydrolyzed and extracted samples was optimized for GC/MS by derivatization with MSTFA. The method developed allows for the detection of psilocin in urine with a limit of quantitation of 10 ng/mL, based on 5 mL of spiked urine. Using this method, our laboratory has confirmed the presence of psilocin in 6 out of 8 urine samples, with concentrations ranging from 10 ng/mL to greater than 200 ng/mL. Before implementation of the hydrolysis and derivatization steps, our limit of detection was 200 ng/mL, based on spiked urine standards. No case samples were positive without hydrolysis and derivatization.