Detection of Psilocybin Mushroom Analogs in Chocolate
Brandon Huskins, Christopher R. Dockery
The Chemical Educator December 1, 2009 DOI: 10.1333/s00897092230a (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Practical guide or manual Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Key points | Proposes a laboratory exercise where students isolate tryptamine from chocolate using drug chemistry techniques and analyze it qualitatively and quantitatively with chromatography, demonstrating applied analytical skills. |
Abstract
In this experiment, tryptamine is used as a psilocin analog and is dispersed onto a Fisher brand cellulose laboratory sponge to simulate dehydrated mushrooms. The resulting “mushroom” material is ground, molded into chocolate, and presented to student groups for real-world and applied analyses. Students isolate the tryptamine from the chocolate using their knowledge of drug chemistry, solubility, pH, extractions, etc. Qualitative analysis is conducted by comparison to standards (Thin Layer Chromatography or Gas Chromatography) and quantitative analysis is conducted by Gas Chromatography using the method of internal standards.