Critical Evaluation of Psilocybe Cubensis Mushrooms and its Clinical Applications at a Unique Jamaican Laboratory

Mushrooms in Psilocybe genera, used over millennia, biosynthesize the alkaloid psilocybin, which undergoes dephosphorylation following ingestion, to bioactive psilocin, an agonist of serotonin 5HT2A/C receptors. While the use of synthetic psilocybin is rising, studies on ethnomedically used mushroom biomass, typically used in therapeutic retreats in Jamaica, lag behind. We aimed to establish growth and quality conditions for standardized and well-characterized biomass, assess its impact on human drug metabolizing enzymes and evaluate clinical suitability. The expression of the tryptamine content (determined using HPLC) in 13 psilocybin containing species (within 3 genera) was explored in this study, under numerous growth conditions, including solid/liquid media, varying light/dark conditions, with and without additives, along with optimum conditions determined for drying and storage, following examinations of growth curves. Emanating fruiting bodies from this unique, legal, EU-GMP certified lab, have subsequently been encapsulated and tested (for mycotoxins, microbes, moisture, heavy metals, pesticides), with active tryptamines being stable over a 12-month period. Variability in harvest yields supports the regular testing for potency. One of the main obstacles to the determination of novel tryptamines and the manipulation of the psilocybin biosynthetic pathway is the lack of structural data surrounding the enzymes involved. Accordingly, in silico studies were performed to characterize the four major enzymes involved in the psilocybin biosynthetic pathway and elucidate their interactions with the expected substrates at an amino-acid level. This recently established structural framework allows for identification of the plausible metabolic routes of novel tryptamines and potential precursor candidates for introduction into the pathway. These data can be used in tandem with growth conditions to establish the optimal formula to maximize the yield of predetermined tryptamines with the desired properties.