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Tryptamines Psilocybin extraction methods

red22

red22

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Joined
Nov 23, 2009
Messages
2,201
Optimized Extraction Methods for Psilocybin and Psilocin. Antonio Derose. Aug 15, 2022. Extraction Magazine

A Cubensis Extraction Protocol and Methods Review. freecatalyst. hive.blog. Circa 2021.

Extraction of psychoactive compounds from psilocybin fungus. Lightburn B, Moss R, Ranken L. 2021-08-03. Psilo Scientific Ltd. CA3088384C [Patent]

Achuma's Psilocybe Extraction Pictorial

Willsolvem's Candy of The God's Tek

Dear Dr. Shulgin (question about psilocybin extraction)

Extraction of psychoactive compounds from psilocybin fungus. Lightburn B, Moss R, Ranken L. 2021-08-03. Psilo Scientific Ltd. CA3088384C [Patent]

Kysilka R, Wurst M. A novel extraction procedure for psilocybin and psilocin determination in mushroom samples. Planta Medica. 1990 Jun. 56(3):327-8.

Casale JF. 1985. An aqueous-organic extraction method for the isolation and identification of psilocin from hallucinogenic mushrooms. Journal of Forensic Science, 30, 247-250.*

History of The Basic Chemical Investigations on the Sacred Mushrooms of Mexico

One of the people quoted in this thread** mentioned an acetone/isopropyl alcohol method.


*A key step in the analytical procedure is the extraction of the compounds from the biological material. However, meagre attention has been paid to the extraction procedure. Hofmann et al. (2) found that psilocybin and psilocin are well soluble in methanol, and have subsequently used solely methanol for extraction. Other authors then used this solvent with or without modifications (4,6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13).
-----------------------------------------------------------
I recently performed an extraction following a 1970 Albert Hofmann procedure. The results were amazing.


-----------------------------------------------------------

**Reports of people vaping and smoking psilocybin and psilocin
 
Last edited:
Researching this as of lately, re: EtOH, H2O, acid buffered

ETHANOL EXTRACTION OF PSYCHOACTIVE COMPOUNDS FROM PSILOCYBIN FUNGUS

many patents reference or use orig. info divulged back in 70's by Gottlieb: "Psilocybin Producer's Guide" written by Adam Gottlieb
"How to produce 5000 doses of organic psilocybin in a small room every week"



Im coming to realize, they (the big pharma and govt,) want us censored and methods like these off the internet
 
jmc31337 said:
Researching this as of lately, re: EtOH, H2O, acid buffered

ETHANOL EXTRACTION OF PSYCHOACTIVE COMPOUNDS FROM PSILOCYBIN FUNGUS

many patents reference or use orig. info divulged back in 70's by Gottlieb: "Psilocybin Producer's Guide" written by Adam Gottlieb
"How to produce 5000 doses of organic psilocybin in a small room every week"



Im coming to realize, they (the big pharma and govt,) want us censored and methods like these off the internet
Click to expand...
postimg.cc

Screenshot 20261003 171228 Chrome — Postimages

postimg.cc postimg.cc
 
red22 said:
Optimized Extraction Methods for Psilocybin and Psilocin. Antonio Derose. Aug 15, 2022. Extraction Magazine

A Cubensis Extraction Protocol and Methods Review. freecatalyst. hive.blog. Circa 2021.

Extraction of psychoactive compounds from psilocybin fungus. Lightburn B, Moss R, Ranken L. 2021-08-03. Psilo Scientific Ltd. CA3088384C [Patent]

Achuma's Psilocybe Extraction Pictorial

Willsolvem's Candy of The God's Tek

Dear Dr. Shulgin (question about psilocybin extraction)

Extraction of psychoactive compounds from psilocybin fungus. Lightburn B, Moss R, Ranken L. 2021-08-03. Psilo Scientific Ltd. CA3088384C [Patent]

Kysilka R, Wurst M. A novel extraction procedure for psilocybin and psilocin determination in mushroom samples. Planta Medica. 1990 Jun. 56(3):327-8.

Casale JF. 1985. An aqueous-organic extraction method for the isolation and identification of psilocin from hallucinogenic mushrooms. Journal of Forensic Science, 30, 247-250.*

History of The Basic Chemical Investigations on the Sacred Mushrooms of Mexico

One of the people quoted in this thread** mentioned an acetone/isopropyl alcohol method.


*A key step in the analytical procedure is the extraction of the compounds from the biological material. However, meagre attention has been paid to the extraction procedure. Hofmann et al. (2) found that psilocybin and psilocin are well soluble in methanol, and have subsequently used solely methanol for extraction. Other authors then used this solvent with or without modifications (4,6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13).
-----------------------------------------------------------
I recently performed an extraction following a 1970 Albert Hofmann procedure. The results were amazing.


-----------------------------------------------------------

**Reports of people vaping and smoking psilocybin and psilocin
Click to expand...

Extraction Yields of Psilocybin and Psilocin: A Short Review of Current Methods and Their Implications - PMC

The growing body of evidence supporting the therapeutic efficacy of psychoactive substances, like psilocybin, has driven significant interest in recent decades due to their low toxicity and potential applications in treating various mental health ...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Summary of articles.
Conclusion: methanol
 
Gottlieb was on to something in identifying maceration with an ethanol/water solvent system.
Galdino et al. (2025) explicitly state that “maceration with a water and ethanol solvent can generate high yield values for PSCB (1.1–1.9%)”. Their Table 2 likewise identifies the extraction methodology as “Maceration” and the solvent as “Water/ethanol.”
(see Galdino at https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11945839/#B61-pharmaceuticals-18-00380)

One especially important point: the quote directly establishes water/ethanol + maceration. The HCl evidence comes from a separate methanol/HCl extraction

For an AI cross-check, for Gemini, ChatGPT, and ChemistryAI.io to evaluate independently: they all said (quoting their reply)-


"Yes, I completely agree. Your breakdown is chemically sound and accurately captures how acid-base chemistry drives the solubility and extraction efficiency of psilocybin and psilocin.

Here is a quick confirmation of why your core points are spot-on, along with one extra nuance regarding chemical stability.

Why Your Explanation is Accurate

  • Protonation of the Tertiary Amine: Because both psilocybin and psilocin contain a dimethylamine group (with a pKa around 9.4 to 10.4), adding a strong acid like HCl forces the equilibrium toward the protonated, cationic form (R3NH+).
  • Enhanced Polarity and Ion-Dipole Interactions: Converting these compounds into ionic salts increases their ionic character and can increase their affinity for highly polar solvents such as water. The charged ammonium group can engage in strong ion-dipole and hydrogen-bonding interactions with solvent molecules.
  • Extraction Efficiency: By increasing the fraction of the compounds present in charged, water-compatible forms, HCl can favor their transfer into an aqueous polar solvent. However, actual extraction efficiency depends on additional factors such as solvent composition, pH, temperature, matrix interactions, and degradation.
A Crucial Bonus Factor: Stability

Psilocin is susceptible to oxidation, particularly under conditions that favor oxidation of its phenolic group. Acidic conditions can influence these reactions and may reduce some oxidation pathways, but it would be too strong to claim that strongly acidic HCl universally "protects" psilocin from degradation.

Therefore, the strongest scientifically defensible conclusion is:

HCl protonates the amine groups of psilocybin and psilocin under acidic conditions, changing their charge state and generally increasing their aqueous solvation. This can influence their solubility and partitioning, while the overall chemical stability depends on pH and the surrounding chemical environment."
 
Last edited:
jmc31337 said:
Gottlieb was on to something in identifying maceration with an ethanol/water solvent system.
Galdino et al. (2025) explicitly state that “maceration with a water and ethanol solvent can generate high yield values for PSCB (1.1–1.9%)”. Their Table 2 likewise identifies the extraction methodology as “Maceration” and the solvent as “Water/ethanol.”
(see Galdino at https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11945839/#B61-pharmaceuticals-18-00380)

One especially important point: the quote directly establishes water/ethanol + maceration. The HCl evidence comes from a separate methanol/HCl extraction

For an AI cross-check, for Gemini, ChatGPT, and ChemistryAI.io to evaluate independently: they all said (quoting their reply)-


"Yes, I completely agree. Your breakdown is chemically sound and accurately captures how acid-base chemistry drives the solubility and extraction efficiency of psilocybin and psilocin.

Here is a quick confirmation of why your core points are spot-on, along with one extra nuance regarding chemical stability.

Why Your Explanation is Accurate

  • Protonation of the Tertiary Amine: Because both psilocybin and psilocin contain a dimethylamine group (with a pKa around 9.4 to 10.4), adding a strong acid like HCl forces the equilibrium toward the protonated, cationic form (R3NH+).
  • Enhanced Polarity and Ion-Dipole Interactions: Converting these compounds into ionic salts increases their ionic character and can increase their affinity for highly polar solvents such as water. The charged ammonium group can engage in strong ion-dipole and hydrogen-bonding interactions with solvent molecules.
  • Extraction Efficiency: By increasing the fraction of the compounds present in charged, water-compatible forms, HCl can favor their transfer into an aqueous polar solvent. However, actual extraction efficiency depends on additional factors such as solvent composition, pH, temperature, matrix interactions, and degradation.
A Crucial Bonus Factor: Stability

Psilocin is susceptible to oxidation, particularly under conditions that favor oxidation of its phenolic group. Acidic conditions can influence these reactions and may reduce some oxidation pathways, but it would be too strong to claim that strongly acidic HCl universally "protects" psilocin from degradation.

Therefore, the strongest scientifically defensible conclusion is:

HCl protonates the amine groups of psilocybin and psilocin under acidic conditions, changing their charge state and generally increasing their aqueous solvation. This can influence their solubility and partitioning, while the overall chemical stability depends on pH and the surrounding chemical environment."
Click to expand...
Gottlieb's method

postimg.cc

Screenshot 20261004 062135 Chrome — Postimages

postimg.cc postimg.cc
 
jmc31337 said:
For an AI cross-check, for Gemini, ChatGPT, and ChemistryAI.io to evaluate independently: they all said
Click to expand...

Just wanna take the opportunity to promote this finding…

"We found that individual models gave confidently wrong answers on up to 31% of hard questions. When we forced all four to debate, the rate of confident errors dropped to 0%. Disagreement between models turned out to be the single strongest signal that an answer needed more scrutiny." joeyfirestone  2026-03-26  We Made ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Grok Debate the Same Fifty Hard Questions... here is what happened.

…And this service that puts it into practice…

https://rauno.ai/

…And consensus.app, which is an AI app that strictly bases its responses on academic databases.
 
Sansert said:
W

why it doesnt work
postimg.cc

Screenshot 20261004 063338 Chrome — Postimages

postimg.cc postimg.cc
Click to expand...
UV light will degrade (actually UV light is great energy source for supplying the activation energy needed to initiate or accelerate many chemical reactions
But normal home lights, LED etc aren't gonna degrade the compound themselves - oxygen will but once you have the psilocybin ya keep it in cool dark dry place (like you're supposed to store with most drugs)


Im against anything toxic from the start when analyzing compounds that are going to be consumed by humans
The median lethal dose (LD50) for Psilocybin is 126.98 mg per lb (https://www.aatbio.com/resources/toxicity-lethality-median-dose-td50-ld50/psilocybin)

im still siding with the Gottlieb theory and we already know it will pull psilocybin outta the fungii (methanol is toxic, HCl is toxic and most will default to store bought muriatic acid instead of sourcing purer HCl from scratch) although muriatic acid SDS says 99% sometimes store HCl has impurities


So youre right in fact UV degrades, methanol will be best (H2O and EtOH will still work just to a slower less extraction yield level)
These Ai only parse tons of info we feed into them, we need get our asses to Colorado (or wherever they do shrooms legally) and get some fungii and macerate and extract and see if EtOH+H2O + lil ph leveling HCl, will work as well they say (or if we can just use EtOH + H2O food safe and take lil longer)

(shrug) someone out there in the shroom industry clandestine has extracted and macerated (besides big pharma) a psilocybin slurry

we can speculate and hypothesize all day back n forth we need lab time and lab work to proof finalize things
 
red22 said:
Just wanna take the opportunity to promote this finding…

"We found that individual models gave confidently wrong answers on up to 31% of hard questions. When we forced all four to debate, the rate of confident errors dropped to 0%. Disagreement between models turned out to be the single strongest signal that an answer needed more scrutiny." joeyfirestone  2026-03-26  We Made ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Grok Debate the Same Fifty Hard Questions... here is what happened.

…And this service that puts it into practice…

https://rauno.ai/

…And consensus.app, which is an AI app that strictly bases its responses on academic databases.
Click to expand...
assuming arguendo we had a psilocybin slurry w/ THCA

id call it: Witches' Psiloverde Draught
 
Bantering on the shrooms but I went deep diving:



Psilocybin is a zwitterionic compound, meaning that in one molecular state it can simultaneously carry a positive charge on its dimethylammonium group and a negative charge on its phosphate group, giving the molecule an overall net charge of approximately zero. A crystallographic study describes psilocybin as a “zwitterionic tryptamine natural product” and gives its structure as 3-[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]-1H-indol-4-yl dihydrogen phosphate. Sherwood et al., 2022, PMID 34982048

The important point is that the charge state of psilocybin depends on the pH of its environment.

Psilocybin has two principal ionizable regions: the phosphate substituent and the dimethylamine substituent. PubChem's HSDB-derived environmental-fate data gives estimated pKa values of approximately:
  • Phosphate protonation site 1: pKa ~1.3
  • Phosphate protonation site 2: pKa ~6.5
  • Tertiary amine: pKa ~10.4
PubChem explicitly assigns the values as 1.3 for the first phosphate oxygen, 6.5 for the second phosphate oxygen, and 10.4 for the tertiary amine. It also states that these estimated pKa values indicate that psilocybin will exist primarily as a zwitterion in the environment. The PubChem entry identifies the underlying pKa source as the SPARC pKa/property server, version 3, January 2006, cited through the Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB). PubChem, Psilocybin, CID 10624

The tertiary amine has the highest pKa, around 10.4. Therefore, at pH 6–7 the amine is predominantly protonated and carries a positive charge:

R₃N + H⁺ ⇌ R₃NH⁺

So at approximately pH 6–7, the amine is already predominantly in its positively charged ammonium form. The phosphate group behaves differently because its two protonation steps have much lower pKa values. At relatively high pH, the phosphate is increasingly deprotonated and therefore carries more negative charge.

As the pH approaches the phosphate pKa of approximately 6.5, the phosphate begins transitioning between its more-protonated and more-deprotonated forms. Around pH 6.5, the two relevant phosphate protonation states are present in comparable proportions in the idealized Henderson–Hasselbalch sense, because pH ≈ pKa corresponds to approximately equal concentrations of the conjugate acid/base pair.

Therefore, around pH 6–7:
  • Amine: predominantly protonated and positively charged.
  • Phosphate: substantially in the monohydrogen-phosphate/deprotonated state, with the second phosphate protonation equilibrium near pKa ≈ 6.5.
The zwitterionic form corresponds to the state in which the amine carries a positive charge while the phosphate carries a negative charge, producing an overall net charge of approximately zero. PubChem's HSDB-derived entry specifically connects the estimated pKa values with psilocybin existing primarily as a zwitterion.

As the pH is lowered below approximately 6.5, the phosphate increasingly accepts a proton. Its negative charge is therefore reduced.
At very low pH, approaching approximately 1–2, the phosphate undergoes further protonation because the first phosphate pKa is approximately 1.3. Below that pKa, the more highly protonated phosphate form becomes increasingly favored.



(This is where I needed a lil dig recap on chem, I never came across a zwitter ion in text til org chem studying)

The key distinction is that this is protonation-state chemistry, not resonance.
The molecule is not changing into a different resonance structure. Instead, the equilibrium between different protonation states changes as the surrounding pH changes.
A zwitterion is therefore a molecular species/state that simultaneously contains a positive charge and a negative charge at different sites while having an overall net charge of approximately zero.
Resonance is different: resonance describes alternative representations of electron delocalization within the same chemical species. Protonation changes involve the addition or removal of H⁺ and therefore change the molecular protonation state and its formal charge distribution.





So the scientifically precise description is:
pH changes the distribution of psilocybin's protonation states and therefore changes its overall charge distribution.
It does not “force a resonance form.”
For structural context, the PubMed-indexed crystallographic study by Sherwood et al. explicitly describes psilocybin as a zwitterionic tryptamine natural product and reports its molecular structure as 3-[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]-1H-indol-4-yl dihydrogen phosphate. Sherwood et al., 2022, Acta Crystallographica Section C, PMID 34982048
For the pKa values themselves, the appropriate reference is the PubChem Psilocybin record (CID 10624), drawing on HSDB data, which explicitly reports estimated pKa values of 1.3 (first phosphate oxygen), 6.5 (second phosphate oxygen), and 10.4 (tertiary amine). PubChem identifies the underlying estimate as SPARC pKa/property server, version 3, January 2006. PubChem, CID 10624
The same pKa assignments are independently reproduced in later patent literature: pKa₁ = 1.3 is attributed to the first phosphate oxygen, pKa₂ = 6.5 to the second phosphate oxygen, and pKa₃ = 10.4 to the tertiary amine. WO2022170442A1, §0103


They knew of zwitterions in early 70's as a main "thing," they knew of their existence in 1800's but not as zwitterions.
I was thinking re: adding HCl

In ole words of uncle fester in his video to purify PSE, (just lil bit now,) similarly just lil bit HCl, just to get to pH of 2 but im big on avoiding anything that can get ya sick and adding muriatic acid would def push pH to 2 but damn,

when a lil EtOH and H2O pulls out some low concentrate shroom juice anyways, id do the HCl to see, but i wouldnt drink it, id drink the EtOH Chlorophyll H2O THCA juice so long im the one made it lol (it taaste like shit too ya know it would)


Hence it activates in the stomach with its pH 1.5 to 3.5 when fasting, but can drop as low as 1.0 to 2.0 (remember when our friends got the kit kat bars out and said fast and we gonna get higher, thats true according to stomach pH levels)
Chemical energy (and its influence on activation barriers, catalysts, ions, zwitter ions) allows for controlled and selective bond breaking/reforming, whereas brute-force heat energy tends to break bonds in a less controlled, more generalized manner - careful during extraction maceration reformation processes when boiling or using heat energy

i think we did some nice research on this thread re: Shrooms and ya know ya gonna feel that in ya kidneys next morning that brewskie there
 
Last edited:
jmc31337 said:
UV light will degrade (actually UV light is great energy source for supplying the activation energy needed to initiate or accelerate many chemical reactions
But normal home lights, LED etc aren't gonna degrade the compound themselves - oxygen will but once you have the psilocybin ya keep it in cool dark dry place (like you're supposed to store with most drugs)


Im against anything toxic from the start when analyzing compounds that are going to be consumed by humans
The median lethal dose (LD50) for Psilocybin is 126.98 mg per lb (https://www.aatbio.com/resources/toxicity-lethality-median-dose-td50-ld50/psilocybin)

im still siding with the Gottlieb theory and we already know it will pull psilocybin outta the fungii (methanol is toxic, HCl is toxic and most will default to store bought muriatic acid instead of sourcing purer HCl from scratch) although muriatic acid SDS says 99% sometimes store HCl has impurities


So youre right in fact UV degrades, methanol will be best (H2O and EtOH will still work just to a slower less extraction yield level)
These Ai only parse tons of info we feed into them, we need get our asses to Colorado (or wherever they do shrooms legally) and get some fungii and macerate and extract and see if EtOH+H2O + lil ph leveling HCl, will work as well they say (or if we can just use EtOH + H2O food safe and take lil longer)

(shrug) someone out there in the shroom industry clandestine has extracted and macerated (besides big pharma) a psilocybin slurry

we can speculate and hypothesize all day back n forth we need lab time and lab work to proof finalize things
Click to expand...
Dont know about this 'we' stuff.
I dont break the law.
I have DEA surveillance 23 years
And it is still occurring.
 
Sansert said:
Dont know about this 'we' stuff.
I dont break the law.
I have DEA surveillance 23 years
And it is still occurring.
Click to expand...
we the clandestine researchers not directly referencing you
yeah, i reference LEGAL locations when discussing drugs too
DEA bla bla bla, nobody pumps more drugs into the markets than USA Big Pharma and its Drug Czar ran DEA - CIA contras
Turned em into corporate drug politicians needing outsourced mercs to wage an endless drug war to turn profit
Besides there are other countries where EtOH Water THCA and 4-PO-DMT
Nothing worse than govt polticial science criminal justice types, playing chemistry (but yall buy your experts though)
But we're getting off topic taking away from research

Playing devil's advocate,
Not that the other side of the game isnt nasty sometimes over money n' power, ive done fed time with cartel and seen some paperwork to know- but the other side didnt come in here tossing alphabet soup into my lab research ideas make everything all impure
lol
 
Last edited:
jmc31337 said:
we the clandestine researchers not directly referencing you
yeah, i reference LEGAL locations when discussing drugs too
DEA bla bla bla, nobody pumps more drugs into the markets than USA Big Pharma and its Drug Czar ran DEA - CIA contras
Turned em into corporate drug politicians needing outsourced mercs to wage an endless drug war to turn profit
Besides there are other countries where EtOH Water THCA and 4-PO-DMT
Nothing worse than govt polticial science criminal justice types, playing chemistry (but yall buy your experts though)
But we're getting off topic taking away from research
Click to expand...
Forget alcohol extractions from dried grown shrooms. Back in the day custom synth places could whip some up if you could smuggle but these days a refined synth came out. The psilocin to psilocybin via pocl3 and 2 subsequent water washes, the reaction transfered via double ended solvent infusion needle by slight pressure difference into the L Al hydride
 
Sansert said:
Forget alcohol extractions from dried grown shrooms. Back in the day custom synth places could whip some up if you could smuggle but these days a refined synth came out. The psilocin to psilocybin via pocl3 and 2 subsequent water washes, the reaction transfered via double ended solvent infusion needle by slight pressure difference into the L Al hydride
Click to expand...
 
F.U.B.A.R. said:
Bloody drug nerds.

Just simmer yer mushies in a pan of water and drink it.

Works a treat 😀
Click to expand...
Entire meals come in pill form

Direct Phosphorylation of Psilocin Enables Optimized cGMP Kilogram-Scale Manufacture of Psilocybin - PMC

A second-generation kilogram-scale synthesis of the psychedelic tryptamine psilocybin has been developed. The synthesis was designed to address several challenges first encountered with the scale-up of previously described literature procedures, ...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
 
Sansert said:
F.U.B.A.R. said:
Bloody drug nerds.

Just simmer yer mushies in a pan of water and drink it.

Works a treat 😀
Click to expand...

Forget alcohol extractions from dried grown shrooms. Back in the day custom synth places could whip some up if you could smuggle but these days a refined synth came out. The psilocin to psilocybin via pocl3 and 2 subsequent water washes, the reaction transfered via double ended solvent infusion needle by slight pressure difference into the L Al hydride
Click to expand...
de-phosphorylation of psilocybin yields psilocin, i agree in the end with FUBAR, blender slurry is much easier
no catalyst, no sourcing of crazy chemicals
 
jmc31337 said:
de-phosphorylation of psilocybin yields psilocin, i agree in the end with FUBAR, blender slurry is much easier
no catalyst, no sourcing of crazy chemicals
Click to expand...
So?
Facts are if someone has the gumption in the world and wants to make money there is a market for 8 mg psilocybin pills, perhaps dutch gangs
 
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