This chapter describes methods for identifying mushrooms that contain psilocybin and psilocin. It covers identification of fungal species based on physical characteristics, chemical analysis to detect psilocin and psilocybin, quantification of these compounds using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and DNA profiling to identify psilocybin- and psilocin-containing fungi.
The chapter describes the physical and chemical identification of plant- and fungus-derived drugs such as LSD, psilocybin, DMT, and mescaline. It explains that fluorescence detection in HPLC offers greater selectivity than UV or diode array detection for analyzing these drugs. Derivatization before GC-MS analysis is discussed, and NMR is emphasized as a valuable technique for identifying complex molecules like LSD. Finally, DNA analysis is presented as a powerful tool for identifying fungal drugs when morphological characteristics are lost.