Psilocybin

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MIGRAINES: psilocybin, originally an extract of certain psychedelic mushrooms, is being intensely studied for migraine headaches (as well as for illnesses like obsessive-compulsive disorder). Tips on Using Mushrooms SELECTION AND STORAGE: • Wild mushrooms are available seasonally. You may find morels in the spring, chanterelles in midsummer, and porcini in the fall. • For common mushrooms, choose those with a firm texture and even color with tightly closed caps. • Store mushrooms partially covered in your refrigerator crisper. Use them within three days.

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Alkaloids psilocybin, psilocin, and lysergic acid have an indole ring common to human neurotransmitter Serotonin. Human neurotransmitters Epinephrine and Norepinephrine are similar to Mescaline's two catechol amines.

These mushrooms have psychoactive psilocybin (that lowers Serotonin), the removal of one Phosphorus atom of which yields psilocin similar to Serotonin in Raphe nuclei cells connected with the entire Brain and limbic areas. Siberian Amanita muscaria fly agaric mushroom (used to poison flies) have muscazon, ibotenic acid, muscimol, and toxic muscarine and muscaridine; said to be the "soma" used by Ayurvedic surgeons for anesthesia; excess can be lethal. Other varieties are smaller with many white marks, and the more deadly Panther Caps (Amanita pantheria) of north America.

Psychoactive molecules similar to Serotonin include psilocybin and DiMethylTryptamine (DMT). •L-DOPA Precursed by L-Tyrosine and B6; stimulates Growth Hormone release from the Pituitary gland for growth, healing, Immune function; motorcontrol, may increase muscles while eliminating Fat; increases Antioxidant requirements (healthful source in S.E. animal feed velvet beans).

Catecholamine Neurotransmitters Dopamine, Epinephrine, Norepinephrine, and Adrenalin are metabolized via an oxidizingEnzyme mainly in the heart muscles into the beneficial and rare AdrenoChrome (AC), beautiful red needle-like water-soluble crystalsresemblingmescaline, psilocybin and LSD-25. Adrenochrome equal ly converts into either aminochrome Adrenolutin (harmful in excess); or to the beneficial reactive flat white crystals LeucoAdrenoChrome (LAC), also called (5.6

Psychoactive, psychedelic, hallucinogenic plants have alkaloids similar to Brain neurotransmitters that influence subtle changes in perception, or awareness; compared to fire that can provide life-sustaining warmth, or "bum the house down," according to use and protections. Alkaloids psilocybin, psilocin, and lysergic acid have an indole ring common to human neurotransmitter Serotonin. Human neurotransmitters Epinephrine and Norepinephrine are similar to Mescaline's two catechol amines.

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If one compares the structures of LSD and psilocybin with the p-carboline alkaloids mentioned earlier, and to DMT and serotonin, a similarity is apparent which might help us decipher how all of them work (remember that the major role of the p-carboline alkaloids in ayahuasca is inhibition of MAO, but they are also mildly hallucinogenic, and thus useful in this analysis). What we would like to do is to develop a hypothesis about which structural similarities are important for psychoactivity. Figure 7.

Molecules in which the -C-C-N- side chain is flexible, and thus may adopt any conformation (DMT, psilocybin, serotonin, mescaline) 2. Molecules in which the side chain is also connected to the 2 position of a indole ring and thus forms a third, fairly rigid ring (the P-carboline alkaloids harmine, harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine) 3.

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Mushrooms of the genera Psilocybe, Panaeolus, Conocybe and Stropharia are known to produce psychoactive substances such as psilocybin, which is a phosphate salt in the fungi and is converted into psilocin in vivo (Fig. 6.64). The Aztecs of Mexico revered certain fungi (Psilocybe mexicana) as the 'flesh of the Gods' and gave it the name Teonanactl. The reverence for these mushrooms is presumably attributed to the profound hallucinogenic effects they exert, and, in Europe, many related species such as the liberty cap (Psilocybe semi-lanceata) are collected illegally for recreational abuse.

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The psychoactive alkaloids of the mescaline and psilocybin groups are considered toxic by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, but this is very much a matter of opinion. Isoquinoline Alkaloids Isoquinoline alkaloids are found in many plant families, including the Ranunculaceae, Rubiaceae, Berberidaceae, Fumariaceae, and Papaveraceae. The Chelidonium, Papaver, and Sanguinaria genera of the Papaveraceae contain a large number of alkaloids.

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Indole alkaloids are represented in the fungal kingdom by the ergot alkaloids and the psilocybin mushrooms. Reserpine is found in the roots of Rauwolfia serpentina (Apocynaceae) along with the related alkaloids resicinnamine, deserpidine and ajmaline. The main actions are hypotensive, sedative and tran-quillising. Ajmaline is of benefit for heart arrhythmias (Samuelsson 1992). reserpine The primary actions of reserpine alkaloids are caused by inhibition of noradrenaline and depletion of amines in the central nervous system.

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In 1962, Leo Hollister, a Veterans Administration (VA) psychiatrist in California, delivered a devastating critique of this "popular tool" in psychiatric research, arguing that LSD, mescaline, psilocybin, and other psychedelics didn't produce a model psychosis at all. Such agents primarily provoked visual hallucinations, whereas schizophrenic patients mostly grappled with auditory delusions.9 The drugs were simply making them suffer in new ways.

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Its properties are similar to those of psilocin, which is converted into psilocybin through phosphorylation.36 Reserpine Present in Rauvolfia serpentina, R. vomitoria, and many other species and genera of the family Apocynaceae, reserpine is used clinically as an antihypertensive agent and tranquilizer. However, about 15% of people treated with reserpine for hypertension develop depression. Serotonin Serotonin is found in bananas (Musa spp.), tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum), and the stinging hairs of the nettle (Urtica dioica).

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Several controlled clinical studies and clinical reports support further research with psilocybin in this vein (Delay et al, 1959; Ruzickova et al, 1967; Leonard and Rapoport, 1987). Pollock (1975) has suggested that Psilocybe active compounds may be very useful for helping the alert terminally ill go through their dying process, based on previous work in this area with LSD, and because of the use of the mushrooms in medico-religious rites may "be a more natural, psychologically aesthetic medicinal sacrament in the preparation of these patients for a death with dignity.

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Researchers Studying Possible Medical Use of LSD, Peyote, Psilocybin: In the last several decades we have gone from LSD to Prozac, etc. and back again now to LSD! Two researchers have begun testing LSD on human guinea pigs at Harvard and the University of Arizona looking at treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder.

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The amount of psilocybin in Psilocybe sspp. ranges from 2-17 mg/g (Corrigan, 1982), and P. cubensis is reported to contain about 10 mg/g of fresh weight. Related Species Psilocybe baeocystis, P. caerulescens, P. cubensis, P. cyanescens, P. semilanceata. Only fungi from a few mushroom genera are known to possess a psychoactive effect, mainly Psilocybe (81 species), Conocybe (C. siligineoid.es), Panaeolus (P. cyanescens, P. sub-balteatus) (+3 species), Gymnopilus (G. spectabilis), Amanita (A. muscaria and A.

Guzman, 1983; Lincoff and Mitchell, 1977). Pharmacology The main active constituent of Psilocybe, is fully water-soluble and relatively stable, though the fruiting bodies may lose up to 50% of their activity after drying. To prevent further degradation of quality, it is important to freeze them immediately after drying. In comparison with unfrozen dried mushrooms from the same batch of Psilocybe, the frozen lots are substantially more potent after 4-12 months. psilocybin is not soluble in ethanol, but its less abundant isomer, psilocin, is.

For instance, hallucinogenic mushrooms have been reported to lead to panic reactions, acute psychosis, mental depression and even convulsions (Schwartz & Smith, 1988: Musha et al, 1986), as well as nausea, vomiting and tachycardia (Peden et al, 1982), though some of these effects may have been due to psilocybin interacting with other recreational drugs (Schwartz & Smith, 1988). Severe symptoms such as vomiting, myalgia, and temporary hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic effects after injection of an extract of Psilocybe mushrooms has also been reported (Curry & Rose, 1985; Sivyer & Dorrington, 1984).

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In 1958 Hofman, the man who discovered LSD, announced that he had synthesized psilocybin and psilocin. These drugs are indole compounds with a striking similarity to serotonin. Cocaine blocks serotonin reuptake leading to an initial increase in serotonin levels. Alcohol increases levels of serotonin. The levels then subsequently drop just as they do with LSD. Steroids (cortisone, prednisone, etc.) directly affect serotonin and are known to create psychotic behavior.

These scientists are immensely interested in understanding why the changes wrought by LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin seem to affect the very core of the user*s consciousness...the research into psychedelic drugs has already enriched our understanding of how the brain regulates behavior. " (DRUGS AND THE BRAIN, p. 179, 205) Have these scientists been so intensely interested in learning the effects of these drugs that they have become overanxious in using them on an unsuspecting general public?

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Serotonin metabolites The abnormal serotonin metabolites seen in autistic children may significantly contribute to their mental dysfunction. LSD, psilocybin, ergot, and other hallucinogens are serotonin analogs and a number of serotonin metabolites are known to be hallucinogens.12 It is also interesting to note that serotonin and its metabolites are produced in, and absorbed from, the intestines. Food allergies and intestinal permeability Food allergies may be contributory to the behavioral disorders.

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The theory was based upon the similarity in structure between the neurotransmitter serotonin and the hallucinogenic ergot alkaloids - LSD, DMT, psilocybin, etc. (LSD mimics serotonin and there is a strikingly close chemical resemblance between LSD and serotonin.) The hypotheses took two directions in investigation. The first theory was that schizophrenics somehow produce larger amounts of these types of compounds through abnormal metabolism.

The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants: Ethnopharmacology and Its Applications Christian Ratsch See book keywords and concepts

Literature See also the entries for Panaeolus spp. and psilocybin. Cox, Paul Allen. 1981. Use of a hallucinogenic mushroom, Copelandia cyanescens, in Samoa. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 4 (1): 115-16. Gerhardt, E. 1987. Panaeolus cyanescens (Berk, et Br.) Sacc. und Panaeolus antillarum (Fr.) Dennis, zwei Adventivarten in Mitteleuropa. Beitrdge zur Kenntnis der Pilze Mitteleuropas 3:223-27. Heim, Roger, Albert Hofmann, and H. Tscherter. 1966. Sur une intoxication collective a syndrome psilocybien causee en France par un Copelandia. Comptes rendus de VAcademic des Sciences (Paris) 262:519-23.

Timothy Leary (1920-1996), a Harvard professor, conducted scientific experiments with psychedelic substances (LSD and psilocybin) in the early 1960s. On the basis of his own experiences and his systematic observations, he and his colleagues Ralph Metzner and Richard Alpert (Ram Dass) developed this theory (Leary et al. 1964), which states that there are three main factors responsible for the experiences induced by psychedelics. The first factor is the dosage—a truism since ancient times, or at least since Paracelsus.

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This theory was based upon the similarity in chemical structure between 5HT and the hallucinogenic ergot alkaloids, and the observation that such compounds acted as antagonists of 5HT in peripheral smooth muscle compounds, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and of others, such as psilocybin, Nl, N4-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), 5-methoxy-N, N-dimethyltryptamine, bufotenine, and the B-carbolines, led to two major lines of investigation.

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Jetter, 1994; Ousley, 1993; Sershen, 1994). Preliminary animal experiments with the substance are encouraging, but controversial due to a possible neurotoxic effect of ibogaine (O'Hearn and Molliver, 1993). The alkaloid is extracted from the plant, and clinical trials are underway at the University of Miami. The Hallucinogenic Properties of Amanita muscaria and A.

Cuomo etal, 1994). Amanita citrina and A. porphyria are known to produce bufotenine, reported by some to be psychoactive. There is no evidence that the fungi themselves have any activity, and they apparently do not contain toxic amines, being considered only mildly toxic (Tyler & Groger, 1964). schizophyllum commune Fr. (schizo=split, phyll=gills; commune=com-mon) Split-Gill Synonyms None known. Other Common Names S. commune is also known as the "split-fold" mushroom (Liu and Bau, 1980). Schizophyllum from American Fungi by Charles Mcllvaine, 1902.

The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants: Ethnopharmacology and Its Applications Christian Ratsch See book keywords and concepts

Stivje et al. 1985). These are nonpoisonous and occur in central Europe (Germany, Switzerland) (Gartz and Drewitz 1985). They have no traditional use. Inocybe aeruginascens Babos This mushroom was first found in 1965 in Hungary, spread from there, and suddenly appeared in 1975 in Berlin. In 1980, it came to Holland, and in 1984 it even made it to the Rhone valley of Switzerland. It can be assumed that this species is a new one that arose only a few years ago (Gartz 1992). The cap is only 2 to 3 cm across; the stem colors heavily bluish green all the way to the swelling base.

Gartz 1995, 304). This species is relatively easy to cultivate on an agar substrate. Beware! Many other species of the genus Galerina are very poisonous and may be lethal. Literature Besl, H. 1993. Galerina steglichii spec, nov., ein halluzinogener Haubling. Zeitschrift fur Mykologie 59:215-18. Gartz, Tochen. 1995. Cultivation and analysis of Psilocybe species and an investigation of Galerina steglichii. Annali dei Musei Civici di Rovereto 10 (1994): 297-305.

B-carbolines mescaline nornicotine opium aUcaloids essential oil N,N-DMT mescaline scopolamine sparteine salvinorin A harmaline, harmine tropanes 5-MeO-DMT nicotine nicotine anabasine, nicotine, and others steroid alkaloids lactucarium thujone essential oil Smoking Herbs Whose Psychoactive Effects Are Questionable Name Botanical Name Active Constituent(s) balm basil black tea bog bilberry leaves cinnamon bark coltsfoot mints oregano sage stinging nettle Melissa officinalis Ocimum basilicum Camellia sinensis Vaccinium uliginosum Cinnamomum verum Tussilago farfara Mentha spp.

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