Immunochemical monitoring of psilocybin and psilocin to identify hallucinogenic mushrooms
Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis July 21, 2020 Izumi Morita, Hiroyuki Oyama, Yuki Kiguchi et al. 17 citations
Two independent monoclonal antibodies were generated against psilocybin and its dephosphorylated metabolite psilocin, the psychoactive compounds in hallucinogenic mushrooms. Novel immunogenic conjugates were prepared by modifying the side chains of these molecules and linking them to carrier proteins. Mice were immunized, and hybridoma clones secreting the specific antibodies were established. Competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) using these antibodies enabled detection of psilocybin and psilocin at ranges of approximately 0.20–20 μg/assay and 0.040–2.0 μg/assay, respectively, with low cross-reactivity between the two compounds. In dried Psilocybe cubensis powder, psilocybin and psilocin contents were 0.39% and 0.32% by weight. These ELISAs offer a promising tool for identifying illegal hallucinogenic mushrooms.