The Screening of Mushrooms Found in Trinidad to Determine the Presence of the Psychoactive Substances Psilocin and Psilocybin

Abstract

The questions of whether psilocybe type mushrooms exist in Trinidad, and if they exist, whether they contain psychoactive drugs namely psilocin and psilocybin were addressed in this paper. To answer these questions naturally-growing mushrooms were collected and classified by trained mycologists. Thin layer chromatography and high-pressure liquid chromatography techniques were employed to screen the samples for the psychoactive drugs. One of the samples found in Santa Flora, South Trinidad was identified as Psilocybe caerulescens. The sample contained 0.01% and 0.003% of psilocybin and psilocin respectively.