14C-Psilocin tissue distribution in pregnant rats after intravenous administration
Functional Foods in Health and Disease July 27, 2014 F. C. P. Law, Grace K. Poon, Y. C. Chui et al. 11 citations
After intravenous injection into pregnant rats, psilocin—the main psychoactive compound in magic mushrooms—crossed the placental barrier and entered fetal tissues. Maternal tissue concentrations of the drug were much higher than fetal tissue concentrations, and psilocin was eliminated slowly from fetal tissues (elimination half-life greater than 13 hours), compared to faster elimination from maternal brain tissue (half-life less than 13 hours). A new metabolite, tentatively identified as dihydroxyindoleacetic acid, was found in rat urine. Because psilocin lingered in fetal tissues, the authors advise avoiding magic mushroom consumption during pregnancy.