The antimicrobial compound psilocybin possesses psychoactive properties with therapeutic applications. Psilocybin is the main component naturally present in psychedelic mushrooms and has been utilized in the treatment of depression and neurological disorders. In this study, psychedelic mushrooms were collected from Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu. They underwent solv...
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin are used as recreational drugs, and there is renewed interest in their clinical use. The current study aimed to (1) determine the circumstances of death and case characteristics of LSD- and psilocybin-related death in Australia, 2000-23; and (2) determine the toxicological profile and major...
Diverse symptomatology makes Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) difficult to treat, and currently there are no approved prevention or treatment methods for FXS. Current therapies, including pharmaceutical and behavioural interventions, offer a patchwork of solutions that have limited efficacy and high toxicity. The current study aims to examine psilocybin as a safe tr...
Background and Aims Psilocybin is a psychedelic drug that may hold promise for a wide range of human health conditions, yet the identification of therapeutic processes and mechanisms of action remains exploratory. We conducted a scoping review on pre-clinical behavioural investigations of psilocybin in non-human animals to help determine the behavioural effe...
Ethnopharmacology relevanceCentral nervous system (CNS) diseases can be diverse and usually present with comorbidity, as in the case of depression and anxiety. Despite alternatives like Psilocybe mushrooms for mental health there is no basic research to evidence their CNS benefits.Aim of the studyTo evaluate the anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects, a...
Psychedelics are powerful psychoactive substances that alter perception and mood processes. Their effectiveness in the treatment of psychiatric diseases was known before their prohibition. An increasing number of recent studies, due to the indisputable resurgence of serotonergic hallucinogens, have shown their efficacy in alleviating depression, anxiety, sub...
In this review, we discuss the possible utility of zebrafish in research on psilocybin, a psychedelic drug whose recreational use as well as possible clinical application are gaining increasing interest. First, we review behavioral tests with zebrafish, focussing on anxiety and social behavior, which have particular relevance in the context of psilocybin res...
Psilocybin, a psychoactive alkaloid with hallucinogenic properties, exists in a variety of hallucinogenic mushrooms. As a study tool to imitate psychosis, psilocybin has aroused a lot of interest in the biological community due to its various possible therapeutic benefits. It is also a very popular and widely misused natural hallucinogens with distinct metab...
The pharmacological treatment of depression consists of taking antidepressant drugs for prolonged periods; its modest therapeutic effect can often be associated with significant adverse effects, while its discontinuation can lead to relapses. Psilocybin is today a novel and breakthrough therapy for major depression. It is a natural alkaloid in Psilocybe mush...
This study is seeking to find the optimal microdose or low dose of psilocybin (magic mushrooms) that provides general enhancements to mood, memory, sleep, and other measures of general well-being without any hallucinogenic effects. Psilocybin is a natural psychoactive alkaloid component of more than 200 species of naturally growing mushrooms that can be foun...
Interest in the therapeutic potential of psilocybin across a broad range of neuropsychiatric disorders is rapidly expanding. Despite promising clinical data and tremendous public enthusiasm, complimentary basic and translational studies - which are critical for advancing our understanding of psilocybin's biological effects and promoting innovation - have bee...
Research on classical psychedelics (psilocybin, LSD and DMT) and entactogen, MDMA, has produced a renaissance in the search for more effective drugs to treat psychiatric, neurological and various peripheral disorders. Psychedelics and entactogens act though interaction with 5-HT2A and other serotonergic receptors and/or monoamine reuptake transporters. 5-HT,...
Mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety are major contributors to the overall global health burden. COVID-19 has further aggravated mental health disorders and also increased substance abuse due to lockdowns1. The Global Burden of Disease reported that the pandemic has led to a 27.6% increase in cases of major depressive disorder (MDD) and a 2...
Clinical studies provide evidence that ketamine and psilocybin could be used as fast-acting antidepressants, though their mechanisms and toxicity are still not fully understood. To address this issue, we have examined the effect of a single administration of ketamine and psilocybin on the extracellular levels of neurotransmitters in the rat frontal cortex an...
The salification and prodrug approaches modulate the physicochemical properties and absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity parameters of drugs and lead candidates. The "phosphate" is one of the key counterions/promoiety used in the salt formation and prodrug synthesis. Salification with phosphoric acid enhances the aqueous solubility a...
In recent years, psychedelic substances with serotonergic mechanisms have accumulated substantial evidence that they may provide therapeutic benefits for people suffering with psychiatric symptoms. Psychiatric disorders targeted by these psychedelic-assisted therapies are managed with serotonergic drugs like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) as...
The word "psychedelic" (psyche (i.e., the mind or soul) and delos (i.e., to show)) has Greek origin and was first coined by psychiatrist Humphry Osmond in 1956, who had been conducting research on lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) at the time. Psychedelic drugs such as N,N-DMT/DMT (N,N-dimethyltryptamine), 5-MeO-DMT (5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine), LSD (ly...
Despite an increasing body of research highlighting their efficacy to treat a broad range of medical conditions, psychedelic drugs remain a controversial issue among the public and politicians, tainted by previous stigmatisation and perceptions of risk and danger. This narrative review examines the evidence for potential harms of the classic psychedelics by ...
Psilocybin-containing mushrooms have been consumed by various cultures in many different parts of the world for thousands of years. Psilocybin, a classic psychedelic, contains unique psychoactive properties and has been incorporated into religious ceremonies and investigated for its medicinal value. In the mid-20th century, psilocybin, along with most other ...
