The Bufo toad and its chemical bufotenine have been surrounded by myth and misinformation for centuries. Used in ancient magic and medicine, the toad was later seen as both a cure and a poison. In the 1960s, it became a countercultural icon when people reportedly licked or smoked its secretions to get high. Bufotenine has been scientifically debated since 1893. This paper reviews the extensive literature to clarify the facts and separate them from popular and scientific confusion, providing a comprehensive bibliography for further research.
A newly documented psychoactive mushroom species, Psilocybe samuiensis, was collected in Koh Samui, Thailand and studied for its psychoactive alkaloid content. Laboratory cultivation on malt agar showed growth rates between those of related species. HPLC analysis of both wild and laboratory-grown fruit bodies revealed high concentrations of psilocybin and psilocin, with small amounts of baeocystin. Psilocybin levels ranged from 0.23% to 0.90% dry weight, with the highest concentrations in the caps. Cultured non-bluing mycelia also contained psilocybin (0.24% to 0.32% dry weight). The alkaloid profile resembled that of many other psychoactive fungi but differed markedly from Psilocybe semilanceata.