Baeocystin is a
zwitterionic alkaloid and
analog
Analog or analogue may refer to:
Computing and electronics
* Analog signal, in which information is encoded in a continuous variable
** Analog device, an apparatus that operates on analog signals
*** Analog electronics, circuits which use analo ...
of
psilocybin. It is found as a minor compound in most psilocybin mushrooms together with
psilocybin,
norbaeocystin,
aeruginascin, and
psilocin.
Baeocystin is an ''N''-demethylated derivative of psilocybin, and a phosphorylated derivative of
4-HO-NMT (4-hydroxy-
''N''-methyltryptamine). The structures at right illustrate baeocystin in its
zwitterionic form.
Baeocystin was first isolated from the mushroom ''
Psilocybe baeocystis'',
and later from ''
P. semilanceata'',
''
Panaeolus renenosus
''Panaeolus'' is a genus of small, black-spored, saprotrophic agarics. The word ''Panaeolus'' is Greek for "all variegated", alluding to the spotted gills of the mushrooms produced.
Characteristics
These fungi are mostly dung and grassland sp ...
'', ''
Panaeolus subbalteatus'', and ''
Copelandia chlorocystis
''Copelandia'' is a now deprecated genus of mushrooms consisting of at least 12 species. Many American mycologists previously placed members of ''Panaeolus'' which stain blue into ''Copelandia'', whilst European mycologists generally used the na ...
''.
It was first
synthesized by Troxler ''et al''. in 1959.
Little information exists with regard to human
pharmacology
Pharmacology is a branch of medicine, biology and pharmaceutical sciences concerned with drug or medication action, where a drug may be defined as any artificial, natural, or endogenous (from within the body) molecule which exerts a biochemica ...
, but in the book ''Magic Mushrooms Around the World'', author Jochen Gartz reports being aware of a study in which "10 mg of baeocystin were found to be about as psychoactive as a similar amount of psilocybin."
Gartz also reported in a research paper that a self-administered assay of 4 mg of baeocystin caused "a gentle hallucinogenic experience".
While Gartz describes experiencing a "gentle hallucinogenic experience" from baeocystin, this could not be replicated in a mouse model in a 2019 study which found no evidence that baeocystin produces any hallucinogenic effects.
Researchers compared psilocybin which is a known hallucinogen to baeocystin by using the mouse head-twitch response. Upon comparison, baeocystin was indistinguishable from saline solution, indicating "...baeocystin alone would likely not induce hallucinogenic effects ''in vivo''". This does contrast however with the human experiences mentioned above, although high quality data is scarce.
See also
*
Norbaeocystin
*
Psilocin
*
Psilocybin
References
{{Tryptamines
Tryptamine alkaloids
Organophosphates
Psychedelic tryptamines