Stability of psilocybin and its four analogs in the biomass of the psychotropic mushroom Psilocybe cubensis
Klára Gotvaldová, Kateřina Hájková, Jan Borovička, Radek Jurok, Petra Cihlářová, Martin Kuchař
Drug Testing and Analysis October 29, 2020 DOI: 10.1002/dta.2950 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Freshly cultivated fruit bodies of Psilocybe cubensis, including mycelium and individual parts (caps, stipes, basidiospores) |
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Tryptamines Mushroom Metabolite Mycelium Food science |
| Citations | 69 |
| Key findings | No tryptamines were detected in basidiospores; only psilocin was present at 0.47 wt.% in mycelium, and stipes contained about half the tryptamine alkaloids (0.52 wt.%) compared to caps (1.03 wt.%), but these differences were not statistically significant due to high variability. |
Abstract
Abstract Psilocybin, psilocin, baeocystin, norbaeocystin, and aeruginascin are tryptamines structurally similar to the neurotransmitter serotonin. Psilocybin and its pharmacologically active metabolite psilocin in particular are known for their psychoactive effects. These substances typically occur in most species of the genus Psilocybe (Fungi, Strophariaceae). Even the sclerotia of some of these fungi known as “magic truffles” are of growing interest in microdosing due to them improving cognitive function studies. In addition to microdosing studies, psilocybin has also been applied in clinical studies, but only its pure form has been administrated so far. Moreover, the determination of tryptamine alkaloids is used in forensic analysis. In this study, freshly cultivated fruit bodies of Psilocybe cubensis were used for monitoring stability (including storage and processing conditions of fruiting bodies). Furthermore, mycelium and the individual parts of the fruiting bodies (caps, stipes, and basidiospores) were also examined. The concentration of tryptamines in final extracts was analyzed using ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. No tryptamines were detected in the basidiospores, and only psilocin was present at 0.47 wt.% in the mycelium. The stipes contained approximately half the amount of tryptamine alkaloids (0.52 wt.%) than the caps (1.03 wt.%); however, these results were not statistically significant, as the concentration of tryptamines in individual fruiting bodies is highly variable. The storage conditions showed that the highest degradation of tryptamines was seen in fresh mushrooms stored at −80°C, and the lowest decay was seen in dried biomass stored in the dark at room temperature.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on psilocybin, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression: fMRI-measured brain mechanisms. Patients with treatment-resistant depression | 2017 | Observational cohort | n = 19 |
| Psychedelic effects of psilocybin correlate with serotonin 2A receptor occupancy and plasma psilocin levels Healthy volunteers | 2019 | Observational cohort | n = 8 |
| Increased spontaneous MEG signal diversity for psychoactive doses of ketamine, LSD and psilocybin Humans | 2017 | Observational study | |
| Classic psychedelic use is associated with reduced psychological distress and suicidality in the United States adult population. USA adult respondents from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2008-2012) | 2015 | Observational cohort | n = 190,000 |
| Prediction of Psilocybin Response in Healthy Volunteers Healthy volunteers | 2012 | Observational cohort | n = 409 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 56
- The Therapeutic Potential of Psilocybin Molecules May 15, 2021
- Microdosing with psilocybin mushrooms: a double-blind placebo-controlled study Translational Psychiatry August 2, 2022
- Diversity, biology, and history of psilocybin-containing fungi: Suggestions for research and technological development. Fungal biology April 1, 2022
- Structure–Activity Relationships for Psilocybin, Baeocystin, Aeruginascin, and Related Analogues to Produce Pharmacological Effects in Mice ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science November 2, 2022
- Extensive Collection of Psychotropic Mushrooms with Determination of Their Tryptamine Alkaloids International Journal of Molecular Sciences November 15, 2022
and 51 more in the library
Cites 25
- Psychedelic effects of psilocybin correlate with serotonin 2A receptor occupancy and plasma psilocin levels Neuropsychopharmacology January 26, 2019
- The hallucinogenic world of tryptamines: an updated review. Archives of Toxicology August 1, 2015
- Psilocybin – Summary of knowledge and new perspectives European Neuropsychopharmacology December 17, 2013
- Psilocybin und Psilocin, zwei psychotrope Wirkstoffe aus mexikanischen Rauschpilzen Helvetica Chimica Acta 1959
- Enzymatic Synthesis of Psilocybin Angewandte Chemie International Edition August 1, 2017
and 20 more in the library