Hallucinogenic mushrooms circulating in Japan were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and high-performance liquid chromatography. Psilocybe cubensis contained psilocin (0.14–0.42%) and psilocybin (0.37–1.30%) in the whole mushroom, with higher concentrations in the cap than the stem. Copelandia species contained psilocin (0.43–0.76%) and psilocybin (0.08–0.22%) in the whole mushroom, again with more alkaloid in the cap. Psilocybe cubensis is psilocybin-rich, while Copelandia is psilocin-rich. The combination of SEM and optical microscopy was effective for observing characteristic fungal tissues such as basidiomycetes, spores, cystidia, and basidia.
In rats, the psychoactive compound 2C-B is broken down into at least six distinct breakdown products through two main metabolic pathways. One pathway converts 2C-B into an aldehyde, which is then further processed into an alcohol and a carboxylic acid. The other pathway produces metabolites where a methyl group is removed from either the 2- or 5-position of the molecule, followed by acetylation of the amino group. These findings indicate that the body metabolizes 2C-B through multiple chemical changes, resulting in a variety of metabolites that are excreted in urine.
Chemical analysis of seven Amanita mushrooms sold in Japan (five Amanita muscaria and two Amanita pantherina) and four products labeled as extracts of A. muscaria found that the mushrooms contained the dissociative compounds ibotenic acid and muscimol at varying levels, with caps having higher concentrations than stems and flesh more than cuticle. In contrast, the extract products contained little to none of these compounds but instead held other psychoactive substances, including tryptamines, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and tropane alkaloids, indicating adulteration.