Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound with potential antidepressant effects. Although it has long been used by humans, primarily for recreational purposes, the molecular mechanisms underlying its actions remain incompletely understood. Here, we examined the acute effects of psilocin, the active metabolite of psilocybin, on excitatory neuro...
BACKGROUND: The claustrum, a subcortical structure densely expressing 5-hydroxytryptamine 2 A (5-HT2A) receptors, has been implicated in sensory integration, emotional regulation, salience, and attention. Despite its hypothesized involvement in the effects of serotonergic psychedelics, the neurochemical impact of these substances on claustral neurotransmissi...
Anxiety disorders are chronic health conditions affecting the quality of life of millions of people. Psilocin, the active moiety of psilocybin, provides an anxiolytic effect; however, when orally administered as psilocybin, it only offers a moderate level of bioavailability and less predictable pharmacokinetics, potentially making effects after absorption va...
Psilocybin is a molecule with significant potential for the treatment of mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse. In this study, it was explored the extraction of psilocybin from Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms using a factorial design approach, along with the physicochemical and phytochemical characteri...
Psilocybin-containing mushrooms, commonly known as magic mushrooms, strongly affect mood, cognition, and behavior. Psilocybe azurescens is a species of psilocybin mushrooms that contains the main active compounds psilocybin and psilocin. Psilocybin mushrooms have been used since ancient times to improve the quality of life. However, their adverse effects hav...
Abstract Recent clinical breakthroughs hold great promise for the application of psilocybin in the treatments of psychological disorders, such as depression, addiction, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Psilocybin is a psychedelic whose metabolite, psilocin, is a 5-HT2A receptor agonist. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms for the effects of psilocybin ...
Background: Psilocybin has shown promise in neuropsychiatric disorders but presents a paradoxical relationship with seizures and epilepsy. Methods: A narrative review was conducted up to November 23, 2025. We conducted structured literature searches across PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science. and Google Scholar using MeSH terms and keywords to identify st...
In the absence of specific studies on the Psilocybe genus in Italy, we provide information on the taxonomy, habitat, ecology, and distribution of the nine taxa currently recorded for Italy. A nomenclatural update of Psilocybe taxa reported in the Checklist of Italian Fungi (Basidiomycetes), published in 2005, is provided and seven scientific binomials are co...
Psilocybin, a naturally occurring tryptamine alkaloid found in over 200 species of fungi, has emerged as a focal point in the modern revival of psychedelic science. Once relegated to the margins of psychopharmacology due to its association with counterculture and strict legal restrictions, psilocybin is now undergoing a scientific renaissance. This transform...
Introduction:Psilocybin, a classical psychedelic, has shown to produce persistent antidepressant effects, including in patients with treatment-resistant depression. In clinical practice, it is common to coprescribe benzodiazepines (BZDs) alongside antidepressants. However, our preliminary study indicated that preadministration of lorazepam diminished the ant...
Background: Tramadol is a synthetic opioid analgesic prescribed for moderate pain. Psilocybin (4-phosphoryloxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine) is a naturally occurring psychoactive compound found in certain mushrooms, often referred to as "magic mushrooms" and is classified as a Schedule I substance. This case report aimed to present the unexpected detection of psil...
The psychedelic psilocybin has gained popularity in recent years as a therapy for treatment-resistant depression and has been reported to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Psilocybin's active metabolite, psilocin, possesses a binding affinity for serotonin receptors as well as for the serotonin transporter (5-HTT). We recently reported that in contr...
Psychedelic mushrooms of the Psilocybe genus contain the psychoactive tryptamines psilocybin and psilocin, compounds currently under clinical investigation for the treatment of depression and other psychiatric conditions. However, the accurate quantification of these alkaloids in fungal matrices remains analytically challenging. Here, we report an optimized ...
High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Psychedelic mushrooms of the Psilocybe genus contain the psychoactive tryptamines psilocybin and psilocin, compounds currently under clinical investigation for the treatment of depression and other psychiatric conditions. However, the accurate quantification of these alkaloids in fungal matrices remains anal...
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a highly prevalent disorder with limited therapeutic options. The central amygdala (CeA) is a critical brain region as dysregulation within the CeA and the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system are associated with AUD pathology. CeA CRF1 receptors regulate alcohol drinking and have served as a therapeutic target in alcohol...
Psilocybin is a serotonergic psychedelic with growing evidence for efficacy in mood disorders, and its therapeutic potential in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and related conditions is increasingly recognised but remains understudied. We systematically evaluated clinical and preclinical evidence on psilocybin's effects on obsessive and compulsive behavi...
In a suburb of Vancouver, Canada, a nondescript three-story building sits alongside a strip of parking lots. From the outside, it looks like an ordinary commercial office space. But inside is something more extraordinary: rows of shelves stacked with plastic tubs full of magic mushrooms-mushrooms that contain the hallucinogenic chemical psilocybin. In a year...
Psilocybin, an indoleamine alkaloid derived from various fungal species, is the subject of renewed, rigorous investigation for its therapeutic potential in psychiatry. This compound, a prodrug for the active metabolite psilocin, functions primarily as a partial agonist at the serotonin 2A (5-HT2A) receptor. Its administration within a structured psychotherap...
