Psilocin-Synonyms Psilocyn-obtained from the sacred mushroom Teonanacatl

B. Psilocin

Synonyms Psilocyn.

Biological Sources It is obtained from the sacred mushroom of Mexico known as Teonanacatl. It is also found in the fruiting bodies of Psilocybe maxicana Heim, (Agaricaceae).

Chemical Structure

3-[2-(Dimethylamino) ethyl]-1H-indol-4-ol; (C₁₂H₁₆N₂O);

Isolation It has been successfully isolated in trace amounts from the fruiting bodies of Psilocybe mexicana*.

Characteristic Features

1. It is obtained as plates from methanol having mp 173–176°C.

2. It is an amphoteric substance.

3. It is unstable in solution, more precisely in an alkaline solution.

4. It is very slightly soluble in water.

5. Its uv_max: 222, 260, 267, 283, 293 nm (log ε 4.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.7, 3.6).

Uses It is a hallucinogenic substance

Note It is a controlled substance listed in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21 Part 1308, 11 (1995).