Analytical identification of ergot alkaloids in Ipomoea species: Resolving historical, forensic, and legal ambiguities

This study addresses the longstanding taxonomic confusion between two plant species within the Convolvulaceae family: Ipomoea tricolor Cav. and Ipomoea violacea L., historically mistaken as synonymous. Employing advanced analytical methods including LC-MS/MS (Orbitrap), coupled with genetic barcoding, we provide clear biochemical differentiation between the two species based on the presence or absence of psychoactive ergoline alkaloids. Our analyses confirm that seeds of I. tricolor consistently contain significant levels of psychoactive compounds structurally similar to LSD, while I. violacea seeds lack these alkaloids entirely. This distinction is critical, as current legislative documents frequently misclassify non-psychoactive I. violacea as a controlled substance, inadvertently omitting the psychoactive I. tricolor. The analytical method is robust and precise, providing an effective forensic tool for the accurate identification of these botanically similar but chemically distinct species. Correct taxonomic and biochemical identification of these plants is essential to law enforcement and policy-makers for accurate legal scheduling and preventing regulatory misinterpretation regarding plant-derived psychoactive substances.