Journal of Basic Microbiology
Vol 34, 1994; 17-22
by Jochen Gartz

The occurence and extraction of indole derivatives in six species from four genera of higher fungi were investigated. By using pure methanol for extraction of the mushrooms analysis revealed the highest concentrations of psilocybin and baeocystin. The psilocin content of the species was higher by using aqueous solutions of alcohols than with methanol alone but was an artificial phenomenon caused by enzymatic destruction of psilocybin. The extraction with dilute acetic acid yielded better results than with the water containing alcohols. The simlpe one-step procedure with methanol for the quantitative extraction is still the safest method to obtain the genuine alkaloids from funghal biomass.

The abstract says it, if you are planning to extract the alkaloids from either dries and pulverisized fruiting bodies or from mycelium it is best to use pure methanol. Superior to aqueous solutions of alcohols (which is wet alcohol, the one you are likely to have!) is dilute acetic acid which means simple vinegar (better: vinegar essence diluted with same amount of water) which is quite nice because there is no problem obtaining it. The problem with wet alcohol is that the enzymes which dephosphorylise Psilocybin to the instable Psilcin are also extracted from the biomass. This also occures with acetic acid but to a smaller amount and does not occure at all with pure methanol (ethanol?). The recommended extraction time (magnetical stirring) is with methanol 12h at room temperature or 1h at 45 deg.Celsius, no times given for the acetic acid method. And the moral: Dont use clandestine-quality alcohols for extraction, use vinegar ! Or dry the alcohol by adding salts like MgSO4, CaCl2, NaSO4 which were previously dried in an oven and decand or filter the solvent from them after a day or longer.