apothecary Posted February 2, 2006 http://abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s1554238.htm An Australian researcher has developed a new test for mushrooms that produces a glowing light if they contain the hallucinogenic ingredients that make them 'magic'. Several species of magic mushroom grow in Australia, mainly in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. Nicole Anastos, who did the research for her PhD at Deakin University, describes her work in the latest issue of the Journal of Forensic Sciences. She applied the method to three species of magic mushroom Psilocybe subaeruginosa, Hypholoma aurantiaca and Panaeolina foenisecii, provided by the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. The technique uses chemiluminescence, a light reaction that occurs when two chemicals react, to detect psilocybin and its metabolite psilocin. These are the serotonin-like psychoactive ingredients in magic mushrooms. Magic happens Not all molecules exhibit chemiluminescence. But mix psilocin with acidic potassium permanganate and psilocybin with ruthenium and magic happens. Anastos says the technique can detect extremely low levels of psilocin, making it the most sensitive test there is and the first time chemiluminescence has been applied to magic mushrooms. "In the literature there's quite a few pieces published on the analysis of psilocin and psilocybin in magic mushrooms but the analysis time is quite long in some of them," she says. "We wanted a rapid method to detect these alkaloids. To date it's the most sensitive method published." Anastos soaked ground up samples of mushroom in methanol and separated the chemical components using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) before running the chemoluminescence test. A do-it-yourself test kit? Anastos says she hopes her research will be picked up and developed for use by the police. It could possibly also form the basis of a home magic-mushroom test kit or a urine test, she says. Associate Professor Michael Dawson, head of chemistry, materials and forensic sciences at the University of Technology Sydney says Anastos' work is interesting chemistry. But he says it doesn't offer any real advantage over existing tests. Mass spectrometry or ultra violet absorption produced equally good results when testing for psilocin and psilocybin in magic mushrooms, he says. "Once you've separated the mixture into its individual components ... there's a whole host of detection methods." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
occidentalis Posted February 2, 2006 She applied the method to three species of magic mushroom Psilocybe subaeruginosa, Hypholoma aurantiaca and Panaeolina foenisecii, provided by the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. Has she just confirmed the activity of a couple of new species for us? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyAmine. Posted February 2, 2006 Not all molecules exhibit chemiluminescence. But mix psilocin with acidic potassium permanganate and psilocybin with ruthenium and magic happens.Anastos says the technique can detect extremely low levels of psilocin, making it the most sensitive test there is and the first time chemiluminescence has been applied to magic mushrooms. Nice one Apoth! I would imagine acidifying some potassium permanganate would be pretty easy, no? Jst add appropriate ammounts of Hcl to KMnO4, mix well and leave to eveaporate? Hopefuly its a simple as grinding up some samples into water or alcohol or by its self then mixing with the acidified KMnO4? Would be nice to get a positive or negative on all those diferent Pans found around here... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ergoamide Posted February 6, 2006 Use h2so4 not hcl to acidfy, generally all KMnO4 solutions are already acidfied as they don't oxidise in the same way when not under acidic presence but i can't remember how learnt it last yr. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rev Posted February 7, 2006 If this means drug testing for PSOH/PSOP has just become simple enough to be made standard then this is bad news and its some bad karmic juju for that researcher Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blog Posted February 7, 2006 so maybe you could crop dust a field with dilute acidic kmno4 solution, come back at night and easily find the glowing mushrooms. Sounds easy.... Except the crop duster aeroplane bit. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyAmine. Posted February 7, 2006 If this means drug testing for PSOH/PSOP has just become simple enough to be made standard then this is bad news and its some bad karmic juju for that researcher Good point! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
