Development of Psilocybe Mushroom Species Reference Material—Cultivation Parameters and Chemical Profiles
Journal of AOAC International February 13, 2025 Coleton Windsor, Christopher Niebergall, Kelsey Dodds et al. 4 citations
Six Psilocybe mushroom species were successfully grown indoors under controlled conditions. Chemical analysis using high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) quantified psilocybin and psilocin and identified three other compounds. Psilocybin content ranged from 0.45% in P. stuntzii to 1.89% in P. zapotecorum. Psilocybin levels remained stable across three successive flushes of P. stuntzii. Freezing fresh mushrooms at -20 °C before freeze-drying drastically reduced psilocybin and increased psilocin. Species identity was confirmed by anatomy and DNA sequencing. The work demonstrates that poorly studied species can be cultivated and chemically profiled, revealing species-specific differences in psychoactive compounds.