Forensic Science International 164 (2006) 172–178
Analysis of hallucinogenic constituents in Amanita mushrooms circulated in Japan
Kenji Tsujikawa a,*, Hiroyuki Mohri b, Kenji Kuwayama a, Hajime Miyaguchi a, Yuko Iwata a, Akinaga Gohda b, Sunao Fukushima b, Hiroyuki Inoue a, Tohru Kishi a
a National Research Institute of Police Science, First Chemistry Section, 6-3-1, Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0882, Japan
b Forensic Science Laboratory, Fukuoka Prefectural Police HQ, 7-7, Higashikouen, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka 812-8576, Japan
Received 5 January 2006; accepted 6 January 2006
Available online 7 February 2006
Abstract
The constituents of seven mushrooms sold as Amanita muscaria or Amanita pantherina (five A. muscaria and two A. pantherina) and four ‘‘extracts purported to contain A. muscaria’’ products that are currently circulated in Japan were determined. All mushroom samples were identified as A. muscaria or A. pantherina by macroscopic and microscopic observation. The dissociative constituents, ibotenic acid (IBO) and muscimol (MUS), were extracted with 70% methanol twice and determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The IBO (as the hydrate)/MUS contents were in the range of <10–2845 ppm/46–1052 ppm in the cap of A. muscaria and 188–269 ppm/1554–1880 ppm in the cap of A. pantherina. In the caps, these compounds had a tendency to be more concentrated in the flesh than in the cuticle. On the other hand, the IBO/MUS contents in the stem were far lower than in the caps. In the ‘‘extracts purported to contain A. muscaria’’ products, IBO/MUS were detected below the lower limit of calibration curve (<10 ppm/<25 ppm) or not detected. However, these samples contained other psychoactive compounds, such as psychoactive tryptamines (5-methoxy-N,N-diisopropyltryptamine and 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine), reversible monoamine oxidase inhibitors (harmine and harmaline) and tropane alkaloids (atropine and scopolamine), which were not quantified. This is the first report of the chemical analysis of Amanita mushrooms that are circulated in the drug market.
Analysis of hallucinogenic constituents in Amanita mushrooms circulated in Japan
Kenji Tsujikawa a,*, Hiroyuki Mohri b, Kenji Kuwayama a, Hajime Miyaguchi a, Yuko Iwata a, Akinaga Gohda b, Sunao Fukushima b, Hiroyuki Inoue a, Tohru Kishi a
a National Research Institute of Police Science, First Chemistry Section, 6-3-1, Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0882, Japan
b Forensic Science Laboratory, Fukuoka Prefectural Police HQ, 7-7, Higashikouen, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka 812-8576, Japan
Received 5 January 2006; accepted 6 January 2006
Available online 7 February 2006
Abstract
The constituents of seven mushrooms sold as Amanita muscaria or Amanita pantherina (five A. muscaria and two A. pantherina) and four ‘‘extracts purported to contain A. muscaria’’ products that are currently circulated in Japan were determined. All mushroom samples were identified as A. muscaria or A. pantherina by macroscopic and microscopic observation. The dissociative constituents, ibotenic acid (IBO) and muscimol (MUS), were extracted with 70% methanol twice and determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The IBO (as the hydrate)/MUS contents were in the range of <10–2845 ppm/46–1052 ppm in the cap of A. muscaria and 188–269 ppm/1554–1880 ppm in the cap of A. pantherina. In the caps, these compounds had a tendency to be more concentrated in the flesh than in the cuticle. On the other hand, the IBO/MUS contents in the stem were far lower than in the caps. In the ‘‘extracts purported to contain A. muscaria’’ products, IBO/MUS were detected below the lower limit of calibration curve (<10 ppm/<25 ppm) or not detected. However, these samples contained other psychoactive compounds, such as psychoactive tryptamines (5-methoxy-N,N-diisopropyltryptamine and 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine), reversible monoamine oxidase inhibitors (harmine and harmaline) and tropane alkaloids (atropine and scopolamine), which were not quantified. This is the first report of the chemical analysis of Amanita mushrooms that are circulated in the drug market.
