The therapeutic use of psilocybin, the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms,” is revolutionizing mental health care for a number of conditions, including depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and end-of-life care. This has spotlighted the current state of knowledge of psilocybin, including the organisms that endogenously produce it.
The l-tryptophan decarboxylase PsiD catalyzes the initial step of the metabolic cascade to psilocybin, the major indoleethylamine natural product of the "magic" mushrooms and a candidate drug against major depressive disorder. Unlike numerous pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)-dependent decarboxylases for natural product biosyntheses, PsiD is PLP-independent and rese...
Summary Psilocin, the active compound in Psilocybe sp. mushrooms, is a serotonergic psychedelic that has recently gained renewed interest due to its potential as a therapeutic tool. Despite promising clinical findings, the underlying signaling mechanisms and brain region-specific effects of psilocin and other psychedelic drugs remain unclear. Psilocin, like ...
Since not only psilocybin (PSB) but also PSB-containing mushrooms are used for psychedelic therapy and microdosing, it is necessary to know their concentration variability in wild-grown mushrooms. This article aimed to determine the PSB, psilocin (PS), baeocystin (BA), norbaeocystin (NB), and aeruginascin (AE) concentrations in a large sample set of mushroom...
Psilocybin fungi, aka "magic" mushrooms, are well known for inducing colorful and visionary states of mind. Such psychoactive properties and the ease of cultivating their basidiocarps within low-tech setups make psilocybin fungi promising pharmacological tools for mental health applications. Understanding of the intrinsic electrical patterns occurring during...
Introduction The 5-HT2A agonist classic psychedelic, psilocybin (O-phosphoryl-4-hydroxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine) is a tryptophan, indole-based alkaloid present in up to 2% of certain hallucinogenic “magic” mushroom species; typically Psilocybe azurescens, semilanceata, and cyanescens,. In addition, mushrooms may contain psilocin (4-hydroxy-N,N-dimethyltryptam...
The use of low sub-perceptual doses of psychedelics ("microdosing") has gained popularity in recent years. Although anecdotal reports claim multiple benefits associated with this practice, the lack of placebo-controlled studies severely limits our knowledge of microdosing and its effects. Moreover, research conducted in standard laboratory settings could fai...
Psilocybin recently received breakthrough status by the FDA for its use in treatment of depression. We therefore investigated mental health professionals' (MHPs) opinions on Psilocybin (n = 155). Overall, attitudes were neutral but self-rated knowledge of Psilocybin was low. The term used in the survey, 'Psilocybin' or 'Magic Mushrooms', did not significantl...
Psilocybin is a tryptamine alkaloid found in some mushrooms, especially those of the genus Psilocybe. Psilocybin has four metabolites including the pharmacologically active primary metabolite psilocin, which readily enters the systemic circulation. The psychoactive effects of psilocin are believed to arise due to the partial agonist effects at the 5HT2A rece...
Psilocybe magic mushrooms are best known for their main natural product, psilocybin, and its dephosphorylated congener, the psychedelic metabolite psilocin. Beyond tryptamines, the secondary metabolome of these fungi is poorly understood. The genomes of five species (P. azurescens, P. cubensis, P. cyanescens, P. mexicana, and P. serbica) were browsed to unde...
Hallucinogenic fungi, mainly those from the Psilocybe genus, are being increasingly consumed even though there is no control on their culture conditions. Due to the therapeutic potential as antidepressants and anxiolytics of the alkaloids that they produce (psilocin and psilocybin), some form of control on their production would be highly recommended. Prior ...
Psilocybin and psilocin, two psychoactive components found in “magic mushrooms,” have therapeutic potential in a number of mental health disorders without the addictiveness and overdose risks found in other mind-altering drugs, such as cocaine, methamphetamines and alcohol. Psychedelic mushrooms occur naturally, are wide distributed and easily accessible. Th...
We present a case of takotsubo cardiomyopathy following recreational ingestion of Psilocybe semilanceata (known as 'magic mushrooms'). The patient presented with respiratory distress and pulmonary oedema responding to standard medical measures. Investigations included: echocardiogram, cardiac MRI and angiogram. Based on our search, we suggest this is only th...
The active hallucinogen of magic mushrooms, psilocin, is being repurposed to treat nicotine addiction and treatment-resistant depression. Psilocin belongs to the tryptamine class of psychedelic compounds which include the hormone serotonin. It is believed that psilocin exerts its effect by binding to the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor. However, recent in-vivo evi...
BackgroundPsilocybin-containing mushrooms are used for recreational, spiritual, self-development and therapeutic purposes. However, physiologically relatively nontoxic, adverse reactions are occasionally reported.AimsThis study investigated the 12-month prevalence and nature of magic mushroom-related adverse reactions resulting in emergency medical treatment...
Psilocybe mexicana R. Heim ist ein Pilz mit langer ethnopharmakologischer Tradition, der als wirkungsbestimmende Inhaltsstoffe Psilocybin und Psilocin enthält. Die psychostimulierende, halluzinogene Wirkung wurde bisher vor allem in traditionellen Zeremonien der indigenen Bevölkerung Mittel- und Südamerikas genutzt. Die Eignung als Therapeutikum für verschie...
Therapeutic use of psilocybin has become a focus of recent international research, with preliminary data showing promise to address a range of treatment-resistant mental health conditions. However, use of psilocybin as a healing entheogen has a long history through traditional consumption of mushrooms from the genus Psilocybe. The forthcoming adoption of new...
Standards are useful in the development of medicine because they enable communication and consistency in experimentation. Standards, however, often require expensive tools like laboratories and clinical trials. How, then, might citizen scientists develop standards given the difficulty of obtaining these tools? This article provides one answer, by describing ...
