HPLC Analysis of Hallucinogenic Mushroom Alkaloids (Psilocin and Psilocybin) Applying Hydrophilic Interaction Chromatography (HILIC)
Journal of Forensic Research January 1, 2016 Julia Nagy, Tibor Veress 12 citations
A new method using hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) with UV-photometric and mass spectrometric detection reliably quantifies psilocin and psilocybin in hallucinogenic mushrooms. The HILIC phase system, employing a zwitterionic stationary phase and acetonitrile-formate buffer mobile phase, provides sufficient retention for both compounds and baseline separation from each other and matrix components. A novel finding is that psilocybin elutes with a retention factor about twice that of psilocin. The procedure was demonstrated on police-seized mushrooms, offering a forensic tool for accurate quantification, which is critical for court judgments.