Morphological and chemical analysis of magic mushrooms in Japan

Morphological and toxicological analyses were performed on hallucinogenic mushrooms that are currently circulated in Japan. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) indicated a three-dimensional microstructures in the mushrooms. The complementary use of SEM with an optical microscope was effective for obs...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Forensic science international 2003-12, Vol.138 (1), p.85-90
Main Authors: Tsujikawa, Kenji, Kanamori, Tatsuyuki, Iwata, Yuko, Ohmae, Yoshihito, Sugita, Ritsuko, Inoue, Hiroyuki, Kishi, Tohru
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agaricales - chemistry
Agaricales - ultrastructure
Alkaloids - analysis
Aqueous solutions
Biological and medical sciences
Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases
Chromatography
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
Copelandia
Forensic Medicine
Forensic sciences
Hallucinogenic alkaloids
Hallucinogens - chemistry
Injuries of the thorax. Foreign bodies. Diseases due to physical agents
Japan
Medical sciences
Methanol
Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
Mushrooms
Plant Stems - chemistry
Psilocin
Psilocybe
Psilocybe cubensis
Psilocybin
Psilocybin - analogs & derivatives
Psilocybin - chemistry
Scanning electron microscope
Solvents
Spores, Fungal - ultrastructure
Toxicology
Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents
Various organic compounds
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Summary:Morphological and toxicological analyses were performed on hallucinogenic mushrooms that are currently circulated in Japan. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) indicated a three-dimensional microstructures in the mushrooms. The complementary use of SEM with an optical microscope was effective for observing characteristic tissues, such as basidiomycetes, spores, cystidia and basidia. Hallucinogenic alkaloids were extracted with methanol and determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a UV detector set at 220 nm. The psilocin/psilocybin contents in Psilocybe cubensis were in the range of 0.14–0.42%/0.37–1.30% in the whole mushroom (0.17–0.78%/0.44–1.35% in the cap and 0.09–0.30%/0.05–1.27% in the stem), respectively. The hallucinogenic alkaloids in Copelandia were 0.43–0.76%/0.08–0.22% in the whole mushroom (0.64–0.74%/0.02–0.22% in the cap and 0.31–0.78%/0.01–0.39% in the stem). It thus appears that P. cubensis is psilocybin-rich, whereas Copelandia is psilocin-rich.
ISSN:0379-0738
1872-6283
DOI:10.1016/j.forsciint.2003.08.009