Simultaneous Production of Psilocybin and a Cocktail of β‐Carboline Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors in “Magic” Mushrooms
Chemistry - A European Journal November 14, 2019 Felix Blei, Sebastian Dörner, Janis Fricke et al. 80 citations
The psychotropic effects of Psilocybe 'magic' mushrooms are caused by the alkaloid psilocybin, but their broader secondary metabolome is poorly understood. Analysis of four Psilocybe species identified harmane, harmine, and other tryptophan-derived β-carbolines as natural products, confirmed by NMR spectroscopy and stable-isotope labeling. MALDI-MS imaging showed β-carbolines accumulate toward hyphal apices. As potent monoamine oxidase inhibitors, these β-carbolines are neuroactive and interfere with psilocybin degradation, representing an unprecedented scenario where different natural product pathways from the same building block contribute directly or indirectly to the same pharmacological effects.