Psilocin, sometimes misspelled psilocine or psilotsin, is a psychedelic (hallucinogenic) mushroom alkaloid. It is found in most psychedelic mushrooms together with its close congener psilocybin. Psilocin is a Schedule I drug under the Convention on Psychotropic Substances^*.

History

The Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann and the laboratory assistant Hans Tscherter from Sandoz isolated psilocin and its phosphate ester psilocybin from Psilocybe mushrooms in 1959 guided by self-administration.

Chemistry

Psilocin can be obtained by dephosphorylation of natural psilocybin under strongly acidic or under alkaline conditions. Psilocin is usually synthesized by the Speeter-Anthony tryptamine synthesis starting from 4-hydroxyindole.

Psilocin is relatively unstable in solution due to its phenolic OH group. Under alkaline conditions in the presence of oxygen it immediately forms bluish and dark black degradation products. Similar products are also formed under acidic conditions in the presence of oxygen and Fe³⁺ ions (Keller's reagent, FeCl₃ / MeOH / HCl). Psilocin is an amine and forms salts with acids that are usually more stable upon storage. Psilocin base can be evaporated by heating.

Pharmacology

See psilocybin for more details.

Psilocin is the pharmacologically active agent in the body after ingestion of psilocybin or psychedelic mushrooms.

See also

• Psilocybin
• Tryptamine
• Indole
• Psychedelic drug
• Psychoactive drug
• Manna
• Teonanactl
• Ayahuasca
• Soma

External links

• The Ones That Stain Blue Studies in ethnomycology including the contributions of Maria Sabina, Dr. Albert Hofmann and Dr. Gaston Guzman.
• The Shroomery Detailed information about Psilocybin mushrooms including identification, cultivation and spores, psychedelic images, trip reports, a dosage calculator and an active community.
• 4-HO-DMT entry in TiHKAL

Alkaloids | Psychedelic tryptamines | Mycotoxins

Psilocin | Psilocina | Psilocina | Psylocyna | Psilosiini | Psilocin