Acute toxicity of Psilocybe cubensis (Ear.) Sing., Strophariaceae, aqueous extract in mice
Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia July 1, 2010 Thiago Berti Kirsten, Maria Martha Bernardi 7 citations
An aqueous extract of the hallucinogenic mushroom Psilocybe cubensis, which contains the serotonin receptor agonists psilocybin and psilocin, produced specific behavioral changes in mice. Compared to a control group, treated animals showed increased gnawing, wet-dog shakes, and decreased locomotion and rearing frequencies 29–38 minutes after injection. Female mice were more sensitive to the extract than males. The results suggest the extract interferes with central serotonergic and dopaminergic systems, and the observational methods used were effective for evaluating its acute toxic effects.