The Determination of Psilocin and Psilocybin in Hallucinogenic Mushrooms by HPLC Utilizing a Dual Reagent Acidic Potassium Permanganate and Tris(2,2′‐bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) Chemiluminescence Detection System
Journal of Forensic Sciences January 1, 2006 Nicole Anastos, Simon W. Lewis, Neil W. Barnett et al. 44 citations
A method using high-performance liquid chromatography with chemiluminescence detection was developed to measure psilocin and psilocybin in hallucinogenic mushrooms. Simple methanolic extraction proved most effective among tested methods. Separation was achieved on a C12 column with a methanol-ammonium formate mobile phase in five minutes. A dual chemiluminescence system using acidic potassium permanganate and tris(2,2′-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) provided better detectability than UV absorption at 269 nm, with detection limits of 1.2 × 10⁻⁸ mol/L for psilocin and 3.5 × 10⁻⁹ mol/L for psilocybin. The procedure was applied to three Australian mushroom species.