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Morphological and chemical analysis of magic mushrooms in Japan.

Kenji Tsujikawa, Tatsuyuki Kanamori, Yuko T Iwata, Yoshihito Ohmae, Ritsuko Sugita, Hiroyuki Inoue, Tohru Kishi

Forensic Science International December 17, 2003 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2003.08.009 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational study Peer reviewed
Population Hallucinogenic mushrooms circulated in Japan
Topics Psilocybin
Citations 79
Key findings Psilocybe cubensis is psilocybin-rich, whereas Copelandia is psilocin-rich.

Abstract

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.

Comparable studies

Other observational and cohort studies on psilocybin, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression: fMRI-measured brain mechanisms. Patients with treatment-resistant depression 2017 Observational cohort n = 19
Psychedelic effects of psilocybin correlate with serotonin 2A receptor occupancy and plasma psilocin levels Healthy volunteers 2019 Observational cohort n = 8
Increased spontaneous MEG signal diversity for psychoactive doses of ketamine, LSD and psilocybin Humans 2017 Observational study
Classic psychedelic use is associated with reduced psychological distress and suicidality in the United States adult population. USA adult respondents from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2008-2012) 2015 Observational cohort n = 190,000
Prediction of Psilocybin Response in Healthy Volunteers Healthy volunteers 2012 Observational cohort n = 409

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