Herbal products containing synthetic cannabinoids-initially sold as legal alternatives to marijuana-have become major drugs of abuse. Among the synthetic cannabinoids, [1-(5-fluoropentyl)-1H-indol-3-yl](4-methyl-1-naphthalenyl)-methanone (MAM-2201) has been recently detected in herbal products and has psychoactive and intoxicating effects in humans, suggesting that MAM-2201 alters brain...
Methylone (2-methylamino-1-[3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl]propane-1-one) is a synthetic hallucinogenic amphetamine analog, like MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxy- methamphetamine), considered to act on monoaminergic systems. However, the psychopharmacological profile of its cytotoxicity as a consequence of monoaminergic deficits remains unclear. We examined here the effects of methylone on the transporters...
An enzyme‐assisted synthesis of psilocin glucuronide (PCG), a metabolite excreted in the urine of magic mushroom (MM) users, is described. In the presence of Aroclor 1254 pretreated rat liver microsomes, psilocin and the cofactor UDPGA were incubated for 20 h. Purification by HPLC gave PCG in 19% yield (3.6 mg). The compound structure was characterized by MS and NMR. The milligram amounts of...
Thirty-two psychotropic substances were listed as designated substances (Shitei-Yakubutsu, 31 compounds and 1 plant) in Japan by the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law in April 2007 for preventing the abuse of these substances. Subsequently, other psychoactive compounds were also added to this category, 40 substances (classified as 12 tryptamines, 17 phenethylamines, 3 piperazines, 6 alkyl nitrites, 1...
Psilocybe argentipes is a hallucinogenic mushroom. The present study examined the effects of P. argentipes on marble-burying behavior, which is considered an animal model of obsessive-compulsive disorder. P. argentipes significantly inhibited marble-burying behavior without affecting locomotor activity as compared with the same dose of authentic psilocybin. These findings suggest that P....
Voacanga africana (Apocynaceae) is a small tropical African tree. The root bark and seeds of this tree contain a number of alkaloids, including ibogaine (a hallucinogenic/aphrodisiac compound in bark), tabersonine (a major constituteent of seeds) and other voacanga alkaloids, traditionally used in Africa for religious purposes. Recently, some kinds of products containing this plant (root bark...
Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART) is a novel ionization technique that provides for the rapid ionization of small molecules under ambient conditions. To investigate the trend of non-controlled psychotropic plants of abuse in Japan, a rapid screening method, without sample preparation, was developed using DART-time of flight mass spectrometer (TOFMS) for plant products. The major psychotropic...
Many psychotropic substances are easily available in Japan via the Internet, thus the spread of drug abuse is becoming more serious problem. To avoid drug abuse, 32 substances have been controlled in Japan since April in 2007 by the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law as designated substances (Shitei-Yakubutsu, classified as 11 tryptamines, 11 phenethylamines, 2 piperazines, 6 alkyl nitrites, 1...
Many psychotropic substances are readily available in Japan via the Internet. To avoid the spread of drug abuse, some drugs have been controlled as designated substances (Shitei-Yakubutsu) in Japan since 2007 by the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law. Twenty-nine designated substances (classified as tryptamine, phenethylamine and piperazine types) were analyzed using color tests and TLC. The color...
Ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)/mass spectrometry (MS) analysis was performed to investigate whether commercial Salvia cultivars available in the Japanese market contain salvinorin A (1), which is an hallucinogen present in magic mint (Salvia divinorum) prior to the regulation of S. divinorum by the Japanese Pharmaceutical Affairs Law. In addition, a previously reported method to...
"Magic mushroom (MM)" is the name most commonly given to psychoactive fungi containing the hallucinogenic components: psilocin (1) and psilocybin (2). We investigated the rRNA gene (internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and large subunit (LSU)) of two Panaeolus species and four Psilocybe species fungi (of these, two are non-psilocybin species). On the basis of sequence alignment, we improved the...
Since June 6, 2002, psilocin and psilocybin-containing fungi (commonly called "magic mushrooms") have been regulated by the Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Law in Japan. However, various fly agaric-related products are now entering the Japanese market via the internet. In this study, fly agaric-related products available in this way were investigated for raw materials by DNA analysis and...
The determination of psilocybin was carried out by reversed-phase liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence (FL) detection. Psilocybin was labeled with 5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-1-[N-(2-aminoethyl)]sulfonamide (DNS-ED) at 60 degrees C for 4h in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide (EDC) as the activation reagent. The resulting derivative was separated on a...
"Magic mushrooms" (MMs) are psychoactive fungi containing the and Psychotropics Control Law in Japan. Because there are many kinds of MMs and they are often sold even as dry powders in local markets, it is very difficult to identify the original species of the MMs by morphological observation. Therefore, we investigated the rRNA gene for a large subunit (LSU) of several MMs to classify them by...
The concise large-scale syntheses of psilocin (1) and psilocybin (2), the principal hallucinogenic constituents of "magic mushroom", were achieved without chromatographic purification. The key step in the synthesis of 2 was the isolation of the dibenzyl-protected intermediate (7) as a zwitterionic derivative (8), which was completely identified by means of 2D NMR analyses.
'Magic mushrooms' (MMs) are psychoactive fungi containing the hallucinogenic compounds, psilocin (1) and psilocybin (2). Since June 6, 2002, these fungi have been regulated by the Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Law in Japan. Because there are many kinds of MMs and they are sold even as dry powders in local markets, it is very difficult to identify the original species of the MMs by...