Psilocybe cubensis – Page 2

The central role of the Thalamus in psychosis, lessons from neurodegenerative diseases and psychedelics

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This paper explores how the thalamus, a key brain structure controlling attention and perception, malfunctions in Parkinson’s disease and similar neurological conditions, causing hallucinations and delusions. Interestingly, these symptoms resemble the altered mental states produced by psychedelic drugs like LSD and psilocybin. By studying both conditions together, researchers found that a common mechanism called thalamocortical dysrhythmia disrupts how the brain filters information and processes reality, offering new insights for treating psychotic symptoms.

A Review of Synthetic Access to Therapeutic Compounds Extracted from Psilocybe

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Scientists have discovered that magic mushrooms contain compounds called psilocybin and psilocin that show promise in treating depression and other psychiatric conditions. However, extracting enough of these compounds from mushrooms is difficult, so chemists have developed multiple ways to synthesize them in laboratories. This review examines different chemical and biological methods for producing these therapeutic compounds, from traditional synthesis techniques to modern approaches using special catalysts and enzymes, making these medicines more accessible for clinical research.

Extensive Collection of Psychotropic Mushrooms with Determination of Their Tryptamine Alkaloids

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Scientists analyzed 226 mushroom samples from about 30 psychotropic species to measure their psilocybin and related compound content. They found that the amounts of these compounds vary greatly, even within the same species, making it difficult to predict how strong a mushroom will be. The research shows that Psilocybe species generally contain the most psychoactive compounds, with some varieties containing over 15 times more psilocybin than others, highlighting safety concerns for users.

Harnessing the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the production of fungal secondary metabolites

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Scientists have learned to use common baker’s yeast (S. cerevisiae) as a biological factory to produce valuable medicines and compounds that naturally come from fungi and mushrooms. By transferring the genetic instructions for making these compounds into yeast cells and improving them with genetic engineering, researchers can now produce therapeutically important substances like cancer-fighting drugs and antibiotics in large quantities. This approach is more practical and cost-effective than trying to extract these rare compounds directly from their native fungal sources or using other production methods.

Current situation regarding psychedelics and magic mushroom in Korea

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This article reviews the current status of psychedelic mushrooms and their potential medical uses in Korea. Several wild mushroom species containing psilocybin have been identified in Korea and can cause hallucinations and other nervous system effects lasting a few hours. While psychedelics show promise for treating depression and anxiety, Korea currently classifies them as controlled substances, and only approved clinical trials can be conducted with government permission.

Scalable Hybrid Synthetic/Biocatalytic Route to Psilocybin

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Researchers developed a new method to manufacture psilocybin, a promising therapeutic compound from magic mushrooms being tested to treat depression. Instead of using toxic chemicals, they replaced a difficult chemical step with an enzyme from the mushroom itself called PsiK. This approach produced gram amounts of pure psilocybin efficiently and could eventually lower costs for future medical use.

The Potential Role of Psilocybin in Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery: A Narrative Review

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This review examines how psilocybin, a compound found in certain mushrooms, may help people recover from traumatic brain injuries. The research suggests that psilocybin could reduce harmful inflammation in the brain, help the brain form new connections to compensate for damage, and improve mood and depression commonly experienced after brain injuries. While promising, the authors emphasize that more clinical trials are needed to confirm safety and effectiveness before psilocybin can be used to treat brain injury patients.

Toxicology and Analysis of Psychoactive Tryptamines

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Tryptamines are a growing class of psychoactive drugs that can cause hallucinations and other dramatic changes in perception. These substances, including compounds like DMT and psilocybin from magic mushrooms, work by affecting serotonin receptors in the brain. While some research explores their potential medical use for treating depression and anxiety, they also carry serious risks including dangerous changes in heart rate, body temperature, and mental state. Scientists have developed new laboratory methods to detect these drugs in blood and urine samples to help doctors diagnose and treat overdoses.

Injury-Triggered Blueing Reactions of Psilocybe “Magic” Mushrooms

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When magic mushrooms are injured or bruised, they turn blue—a phenomenon that has puzzled scientists for decades. Researchers discovered that two enzymes work together in a two-step process: first, an enzyme removes a protective chemical tag from psilocybin, converting it to psilocin; then, a second enzyme oxidizes this molecule, causing it to link together into larger chains that appear blue. This blue color appears to be a defense mechanism that protects the mushroom from insects.

If you cannot see it, is it still there? – Ensemble refinement of invisible protein segments

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Scientists studying protein structures using X-ray crystallography often face a problem: flexible parts of proteins don’t show up clearly in their images and get left out of molecular models. This paper demonstrates a new technique called ensemble refinement that can visualize these ‘invisible’ flexible regions by creating multiple model versions simultaneously. Using a mushroom enzyme that produces psilocybin as an example, researchers show that this approach reveals how protein parts actually move and change shape, providing better understanding of how proteins function.

Fungal Species: Psilocybe cubensis