Occurrence of Psilocybin in Various Higher Fungi from Several European Countries

Abstract

Using high performance liquid and thin-layer chromatographic methods more than 100 species of fungi from Europe belonging to 18 genera were analysed for the hallucinogenic compound psilocybin and for some related tryptamine derivatives. Psilocybin, psilocin and/or baeocystin were found in 3 PSILOCYBE 1 PANAEOLUS, 5 INOCYBES and one PLUTEUS. PSILOCYBE SEMILANCEATA and PANAEOLUS SUBBALTEATUS proved to be the only psilocybin-containing fungi that can be gathered in Middle and Northern Europe in sufficient quantities to permit abuse.

Vorkommen von Psilocybin und Baeocystin in Fruchtkörpern vonPluteus salicinus

“…Auch bei anderen Untersuchungen mit Pilzen aus der Gattung Psilocybe wurde mehr Psilocybin in den Pilzhüten nachgewiesen (9,10). Die Mittelwerte des Psilocybingehaltes von P. salicinus liegen in den GroBenordnungen der Alkaloidkonzentrationen in P. semilanceata und P. cyanescens (3)(4)(5)13) und liegen bedeutend fiber denen von I. aeruginascens (4).…”

“…163-165°C (yellow needles from acetone) (3,4). Abstract: Using HPLC and TLC, psilocybin and baeocystin but not psilocin were found in extracts of dried fruit bodies of Pluteus salicinus.…”

Discovery of a new caerulescent Psilocybe mushroom in Germany: Psilocybe germanica sp.nov.

“…As far as it is currently known, this trimethylammonium analog of psilocybin has only been reported to occur in the hallucinogenic species Inocybe aeruginascens Babos. [13,21] Psilocybe semilanceata is the best studied psychoactive mushroom species in the world [1,14,18,19,17,22,23] and is known to contain psilocybin and baeocystin (Table 1). Previous investigations in 1994 have shown that the use pure methanol yielded the authentic indole derivatives from dried mushrooms and the use of aqueous solvents resulted in hydrolysis of psilocybin and baeocystin to give psilocin.…”

“…It contained high amounts of psilocybin and baeocystin. This mushroom appears to be [16] 0.34 À 0.98 0.01 À 0.05 0.01 À 0.93 P. cyanescens [17] 0.25 À 0.85 0.01 À 0.03 0.04 À 0.36 P. semilanceata [3,4] 0.19 À 1.34 0.03 À 0.38 nd P. semilanceata [18] 0.55 À 1,96 0,11 À 034 À P. semilanceata [19] 0.41 À 1.41 0.10 À 0.60 traces P. semilanceata [14] 0,91 À 1,05 qualitative nd À 0.02 P. semilanceata [17] 0.05 À 1.70 nd À 0.36 nd À 0.36 P. bohemica [14] 0.25 À 1.14 nd nd À 0.07 P. bohemica [17] 0.28 À 0.80 0.01 À 0.03 nd À 0.02 P. bohemica [20] 0.11 À 1,35 0.01 À 0.03 0.01 À 0.02 P. azurescens [9] 1.17 À the first described species derived from wood chips that contains significant amounts of baeocystin in the absence of psilocin. The novel species was differentiated from other psychoactive taxons such as Psilocybe cyanescens, Psilocybe azurescens and Psilocybe bohemica in combination from features of the stipes and caps.…”

Synthesis of Baeocystin, a natural Psilocybin Analogue

“…The reaction of 3 with oxalyl chloride and methylamine gave 4, which was reduced to 5 with LiA1H4 followed by catalytic hydrogenation to yield 4-hydroxy-N-methylamine (6). A similar procedure was used by H~fmann'~) to prepare psilocybin.…”