Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of <i>Psilocybe</i> Mushrooms: Gaps and Perspectives
The <i>Psilocybe</i> genus is known for producing tryptamine alkaloids, specifically the compounds psilocybin and psilocin, which have shown antidepressant and anxiolytic potential. The presence of these alkaloids makes <i>Psilocybe</i> mushrooms promising sources of molecule...
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2025-07-01
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| author | Mateus A. Luz Hellen V. S. Guedes Antônio B. M. Bisneto Raquel A. de Jesus Taynah P. Galdino Lucas C. Oliveira Victor Ignacio Afonso Marcus Vinícius L. Fook Antônio G. B. Lima Suedina M. de L. Silva Maria C. M. Torres |
| author_facet | Mateus A. Luz Hellen V. S. Guedes Antônio B. M. Bisneto Raquel A. de Jesus Taynah P. Galdino Lucas C. Oliveira Victor Ignacio Afonso Marcus Vinícius L. Fook Antônio G. B. Lima Suedina M. de L. Silva Maria C. M. Torres |
| author_sort | Mateus A. Luz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The <i>Psilocybe</i> genus is known for producing tryptamine alkaloids, specifically the compounds psilocybin and psilocin, which have shown antidepressant and anxiolytic potential. The presence of these alkaloids makes <i>Psilocybe</i> mushrooms promising sources of molecules with potential applications in the treatment of mental disorders. To explore this, a bibliographic study was conducted with the aim of synthesizing published data regarding the biological properties and chemical composition of <i>Psilocybe</i> mushrooms. Searches were performed on indexing platforms, and the articles found were processed using StArt software. These articles were then classified by score and selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. This survey yielded a total of 74 articles, and among them, 66 works showed the presence of psilocybin and/or psilocin alkaloids, indicating the psychoactivity of the mushrooms, and 4 works demonstrated the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the extract from certain species of the genus. Additionally, 37 chemical compounds were identified across the genus, 23 of which are alkaloids. Data regarding the temporal and chemical stability of these compounds were also observed, which could help optimize the handling of materials that contain indole alkaloids. Therefore, it is evident that species of this genus remain underexplored in terms of chemical diversity; only compounds classified as alkaloids, terpenoids and phenolic compounds were found, and, in total, only 36 compounds in a study range time of 67 years. Furthermore, most studies focused primarily on evaluating the tryptamine alkaloids responsible for the psychoactivity of the mushrooms, without any study focusing on demonstrating the biological activity of isolated compounds against any pathological factor, except for studies relating the whole extract to larvicidal, antimicrobial and antioxidant potential. So, this review provides a general overview of the molecules isolated from the genus and their biological activities and also suggests that researchers working with these mushroom species could focus their efforts on isolating new compounds and evaluating other types of biological activities that can improve the knowledge of mushrooms’ alternative applications. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d16c477db8984b009b26bcc0eb34ef09 |
| institution | Matheson Library |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-d16c477db8984b009b26bcc0eb34ef092025-07-25T13:33:09ZengMDPI AGPharmaceuticals1424-82472025-07-0118798910.3390/ph18070989Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of <i>Psilocybe</i> Mushrooms: Gaps and PerspectivesMateus A. Luz0Hellen V. S. Guedes1Antônio B. M. Bisneto2Raquel A. de Jesus3Taynah P. Galdino4Lucas C. Oliveira5Victor Ignacio Afonso6Marcus Vinícius L. Fook7Antônio G. B. Lima8Suedina M. de L. Silva9Maria C. M. Torres10Department of Chemistry, Paraíba State University, Campina Grande 58429-500, Paraíba, BrazilDepartment of Chemistry, Paraíba State University, Campina Grande 58429-500, Paraíba, BrazilNortheast Biomaterials Evaluation and Development Laboratory, CERTBIO, Academic Unit of Materials Engineering, Federal University of Campina Grande, Av. Aprígio Veloso, 882-Bodocongó, Campina Grande 58429-900, Paraíba, BrazilNortheast Biomaterials Evaluation and Development Laboratory, CERTBIO, Academic Unit of Materials Engineering, Federal University of Campina Grande, Av. Aprígio Veloso, 882-Bodocongó, Campina Grande 58429-900, Paraíba, BrazilNortheast Biomaterials Evaluation and Development Laboratory, CERTBIO, Academic Unit of Materials Engineering, Federal University of Campina Grande, Av. Aprígio Veloso, 882-Bodocongó, Campina Grande 58429-900, Paraíba, BrazilNortheast Biomaterials Evaluation and Development Laboratory, CERTBIO, Academic Unit of Materials Engineering, Federal University of Campina Grande, Av. Aprígio Veloso, 882-Bodocongó, Campina Grande 58429-900, Paraíba, BrazilAcademic Unit of Physics, Federal University of Campina Grande, Campina Grande 58429-900, Paraíba, BrazilNortheast Biomaterials Evaluation and Development Laboratory, CERTBIO, Academic Unit of Materials Engineering, Federal University of Campina Grande, Av. Aprígio Veloso, 882-Bodocongó, Campina Grande 58429-900, Paraíba, BrazilAcademic Unity of Mechanical Engineering, Federal University of Campina Grande, Campina Grande 58429-500, Paraíba, BrazilNortheast Biomaterials Evaluation and Development Laboratory, CERTBIO, Academic Unit of Materials Engineering, Federal University of Campina Grande, Av. Aprígio Veloso, 882-Bodocongó, Campina Grande 58429-900, Paraíba, BrazilDepartment of Chemistry, Paraíba State University, Campina Grande 58429-500, Paraíba, BrazilThe <i>Psilocybe</i> genus is known for producing tryptamine alkaloids, specifically the compounds psilocybin and psilocin, which have shown antidepressant and anxiolytic potential. The presence of these alkaloids makes <i>Psilocybe</i> mushrooms promising sources of molecules with potential applications in the treatment of mental disorders. To explore this, a bibliographic study was conducted with the aim of synthesizing published data regarding the biological properties and chemical composition of <i>Psilocybe</i> mushrooms. Searches were performed on indexing platforms, and the articles found were processed using StArt software. These articles were then classified by score and selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. This survey yielded a total of 74 articles, and among them, 66 works showed the presence of psilocybin and/or psilocin alkaloids, indicating the psychoactivity of the mushrooms, and 4 works demonstrated the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the extract from certain species of the genus. Additionally, 37 chemical compounds were identified across the genus, 23 of which are alkaloids. Data regarding the temporal and chemical stability of these compounds were also observed, which could help optimize the handling of materials that contain indole alkaloids. Therefore, it is evident that species of this genus remain underexplored in terms of chemical diversity; only compounds classified as alkaloids, terpenoids and phenolic compounds were found, and, in total, only 36 compounds in a study range time of 67 years. Furthermore, most studies focused primarily on evaluating the tryptamine alkaloids responsible for the psychoactivity of the mushrooms, without any study focusing on demonstrating the biological activity of isolated compounds against any pathological factor, except for studies relating the whole extract to larvicidal, antimicrobial and antioxidant potential. So, this review provides a general overview of the molecules isolated from the genus and their biological activities and also suggests that researchers working with these mushroom species could focus their efforts on isolating new compounds and evaluating other types of biological activities that can improve the knowledge of mushrooms’ alternative applications.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/18/7/989<i>Psilocybe</i>psilocybinpsilocinindole alkaloidstryptamines |
| spellingShingle | Mateus A. Luz Hellen V. S. Guedes Antônio B. M. Bisneto Raquel A. de Jesus Taynah P. Galdino Lucas C. Oliveira Victor Ignacio Afonso Marcus Vinícius L. Fook Antônio G. B. Lima Suedina M. de L. Silva Maria C. M. Torres Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of <i>Psilocybe</i> Mushrooms: Gaps and Perspectives Pharmaceuticals <i>Psilocybe</i> psilocybin psilocin indole alkaloids tryptamines |
| title | Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of <i>Psilocybe</i> Mushrooms: Gaps and Perspectives |
| title_full | Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of <i>Psilocybe</i> Mushrooms: Gaps and Perspectives |
| title_fullStr | Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of <i>Psilocybe</i> Mushrooms: Gaps and Perspectives |
| title_full_unstemmed | Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of <i>Psilocybe</i> Mushrooms: Gaps and Perspectives |
| title_short | Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of <i>Psilocybe</i> Mushrooms: Gaps and Perspectives |
| title_sort | chemical composition and biological activities of i psilocybe i mushrooms gaps and perspectives |
| topic | <i>Psilocybe</i> psilocybin psilocin indole alkaloids tryptamines |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/18/7/989 |
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