Curious Chemist
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2022
- Messages
- 30
Even when stored properly, many chemicals slowly decompose by reaction with atmospheric oxygen or hydrolysis with water. Colorless THC turns red, 4-hydroxytryptamines turn into black goo, AMT starts to emit an appalling stench of skatole… there are diverse ways how psychedelics decompose. Some of them are quite stable and I expect most of my phenylethylamines to last longer than I will, but the tryptamines are more prone to deterioration.
Psychoactive mushrooms of the Psilocybe genus are considered to be particularly sensitive due to hydrolysis of Psilocybin and subsequent oxidation of resulting psilocin. Recent research indicated that the lowest decay of psilocybin and its derivatives in Psilocybe cubensis occurs in dried mushrooms stored in the dark at room temperature ( Gotvaldová 2021 - 10.1002/dta.2950 ).
Fortunately, I had access to Psilocybe semilanceata that were processed and stored under exactly these «optimal conditions» for more than 25 years! The material was collected in Fall 1996 in Europe, dried to constant mass in darkness below 40 °C, and stored at room temperature protected from light and air (but without any inert protecting gas). The dried material was highly psychoactive in multiple self-experiments performed in 1996 – 1999.
So, the objective of my latest little self-experiment was to evaluate the stability of psychoactive tryptamines in intact dried P. semilanceata stored for >25 years.
1.40 g of dried P. semilanceata (predominantly caps) was crushed to a fine powder, mixed with 140 mg citric acid, and cooked in 140 mL water for 1 minute. The resulting mixture was filtered to give a dark grey solution, cooled to room temperature, flavored, and ingested. Then I waited, full of anticipation… and less then 30 minutes later it was unmistakably clear that psychoactive psilocybin is well retained in P. semilanceata for more than a quarter of a century. An interesting experience elicited by a time-capsule from the past, that was rich in recovered memories from times long ago. I must admit that I did not really expect this result and had other plans for this evening. I can only speculate that their encapsulation in the dried fungal cells effectively protects psilocybin / psilocin from the environment.
How do you store your collection of magic potions and what is the longest you have stored any psychedelic before you finally tasted it and found that it was still active?
Psychoactive mushrooms of the Psilocybe genus are considered to be particularly sensitive due to hydrolysis of Psilocybin and subsequent oxidation of resulting psilocin. Recent research indicated that the lowest decay of psilocybin and its derivatives in Psilocybe cubensis occurs in dried mushrooms stored in the dark at room temperature ( Gotvaldová 2021 - 10.1002/dta.2950 ).
Fortunately, I had access to Psilocybe semilanceata that were processed and stored under exactly these «optimal conditions» for more than 25 years! The material was collected in Fall 1996 in Europe, dried to constant mass in darkness below 40 °C, and stored at room temperature protected from light and air (but without any inert protecting gas). The dried material was highly psychoactive in multiple self-experiments performed in 1996 – 1999.
So, the objective of my latest little self-experiment was to evaluate the stability of psychoactive tryptamines in intact dried P. semilanceata stored for >25 years.
1.40 g of dried P. semilanceata (predominantly caps) was crushed to a fine powder, mixed with 140 mg citric acid, and cooked in 140 mL water for 1 minute. The resulting mixture was filtered to give a dark grey solution, cooled to room temperature, flavored, and ingested. Then I waited, full of anticipation… and less then 30 minutes later it was unmistakably clear that psychoactive psilocybin is well retained in P. semilanceata for more than a quarter of a century. An interesting experience elicited by a time-capsule from the past, that was rich in recovered memories from times long ago. I must admit that I did not really expect this result and had other plans for this evening. I can only speculate that their encapsulation in the dried fungal cells effectively protects psilocybin / psilocin from the environment.
How do you store your collection of magic potions and what is the longest you have stored any psychedelic before you finally tasted it and found that it was still active?
