WHY 1.3195? WHY 0.7186? PCBE IN MAGIC MUSHROOM TESTING

METHODOLOGY

As you likely know the major alkaloids in magic mushrooms are Psilocybin and Psilocin, both are tryptamines derived from the L-tryptophan pathway. These indole alkaloids are responsible for the psychoactive effects of numerous Psilocybe and Panaeolus species of mushrooms. Psilocybin is considered more shelf stable and for that reason researchers prefer to use synthetic psilocybin in most studies, and not Psilocin. For the same reason hobbyists generally try to preserve the highest levels of Psilocybin whenever possible. However, only Psilocin can cross the blood-brain barrier . Psilocybin is rapidly dephosphorylated, therefore converted to psilocin, in the acidic environment of the stomach (the phosphate group is cleaved from the Psilocybin molecule). So, 1mg of Psilocybin, once metabolized, will consist of Psilocin weighing 0.718mg (with 0.282mg of free-floating phosphate waste byproduct). In other words, 0.718mg of Psilocin is the psychoactive equal to 1mg of Psilocybin. This means by weight; Psilocin is significantly more potent than Psilocybin. 1mg of Psilocin is equivalent to 1.3915mg of Psilocybin.

Also in the biosynthetic pathway to Psilocybin are what we consider ‘minor alkaloids’ like Beaocystin. Currently little is known about the impact of minor alkaloids on user experiences. Mushrooms do not directly synthesize Psilocin , it is the result of damage to Psilocybin, samples testing high in Psilocin were likely harvested late, exposed to air and water for too long, or were damaged/bruised in handling or in processing by a lab.

KEY FINDINGS

MOLECULAR WEIGHTS:

CONVERSION FACTORS

Conversion factors to find the PCBE (Psilocybin equivalent) or the PCNE (Psilocin equivalent) are based on the molecular weights of the alkaloids. Simply divide one by the other to get the "Conversion Factors"

CONVERSION FACTOR #1: PCB --> PCN 204.273 ÷ 284.252 = 0.71863347

CONVERSION FACTOR #2: PCN --> PCB  284.252 ÷ 204.273 = 1.39152996

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, psilocybin must be broken down to Psilocin to become psychoactive. By weight, Psilocin is more potent because it is a lighter weight molecule. We recommend that test reports and product labels for Psilocybin containing products display both PCBE percentages and PCBE mg per g:

Because nearly all published research studies use Psilocybin dosing, most people are familiar with Psilocybin based ranges (for example 25mg to 35mg for a deep experience). It is not helpful to report Psilocin equivalent values and could even do harm (because the numbers will be lower which could lead to accidental excess dosing).

TAKEAWAY #1

Psilocin is considerably more potent than Psilocybin mg for mg. By using the conversion factors outlined in this article we can determine how much Psilocybin it is equal to thus aiding in more accurate dosing decisions and better user experiences.

TAKEAWAY #2

Psilocin is the active compound, once Psilocybin has been converted to Psilocin, it is bio-available and can enter the brain via the bloodstream rather quickly. High Psilocin in magic mushrooms when taken orally may result in a faster onset of effects. Psilocybin on the other hand may take some time to metabolize resulting in a longer on-set. Some people prefer to convert the Psilocybin into Psilocin before consuming the mushrooms by soaking them in an acidic beverage such as lemon juice.

TAKEAWAY #3

It is important to know the grand total Psilocybin equivalent (PCBE) in a given product so people can make informed dosing decisions. To date we only consider the major alkaloids in the equivalency scores. In the future more consideration may be made for the minor alkaloids and their metabolites.

A list of experience levels associates with various PCBE dosages: