Yakugaku zasshi : Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan
August 1, 2009
Ruri Kikura-Hanajiri, Takuro Maruyama, Akinori Miyashita et al.
15 citations
Products sold as Voacanga africana, a tree whose bark and seeds contain psychoactive alkaloids, fall into two chemical types: ibogaine-type (0.05–0.6% ibogaine plus voacamine, voacamidine, and voacangine) and tabersonine-type (0.6–1.6% tabersonine). DNA analysis of the chloroplast trnL-F region showed most products came from V. africana or closely related plants, with four distinct genotypes. The study developed a simultaneous LC/MS method to quantify these alkaloids and used DNA barcoding to verify botanical origins, providing tools to monitor the distribution of this non-controlled psychotropic plant.
Yakugaku zasshi : Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan
January 1, 2008
Takuro Maruyama, Hiroyuki Kamakura, Ruri Kikura-Hanajiri et al.
14 citations
Before Salvia divinorum was regulated under Japan's Pharmaceutical Affairs Law, commercial Salvia cultivars sold in Japan were tested for the hallucinogen salvinorin A. Ultra performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry showed that none of the cultivars contained salvinorin A, whereas S. divinorum leaves and its processed product "concentrated salvia" contained 0.19% to 0.58% of the compound. A DNA-based authentication method using amplification refractory mutation system clearly distinguished S. divinorum from the cultivars. The authors conclude that this authentication method is simple and accurate, making it useful for practical regulation.
Food Hygiene and Safety Science (Shokuhin Eiseigaku Zasshi)
January 1, 2003
Takuro Maruyama, Osamu Shirota, Nobuo Kawahara et al.
14 citations
Magic mushrooms sold in Japanese markets are difficult to identify by appearance alone, especially when dried and powdered. By analyzing the internal transcribed spacer region of their ribosomal RNA gene, researchers classified the samples into six genetic groups and matched them to known species using DNA databases. Chemical analysis showed that Panaeolus cyanescens contained the highest level of psilocin among the mushrooms tested, while Amanita species contained none.
Shokuhin eiseigaku zasshi. Journal of the Food Hygienic Society of Japan
April 1, 2005
Takuro Maruyama, Nobuo Kawahara, Toshimitsu Fukiharu et al.
Since 2002, psilocybin-containing fungi have been regulated in Japan, but fly agaric-related products are now entering the Japanese market via the internet. DNA analysis of these products suggested they originate from Amanita muscaria or A. muscaria var. persicina, and they were classified into three strains based on nucleotide sequences. Chemical analysis detected harmine derivatives and/or tryptamine derivatives in some products, and the matK gene of Peganum harmala was found in all harmine-containing samples, indicating the presence of additional psychoactive plants.