Forensic analysis of hallucinogenic mushrooms and khat (Catha edulis Forsk) using cation-exchange liquid chromatography.
Forensic science international February 25, 2010 Tim Laussmann, Sigrid Meier-Giebing
A new HPLC method using cation-exchange liquid chromatography can quantify the hallucinogenic alkaloids psilocin and psilocybin in mushrooms and the stimulant alkaloids cathinone and cathine in khat without lengthy sample preparation. Applied to seized samples, dried Panaeolus cyanescens mushrooms contained up to 3.00 mg of psilocin per 100 mg. In khat, high cathinone concentrations were found not only in leaves but also in green parts and bark of stalks. Freeze-drying fresh material preserved the highest alkaloid levels.