Pharmacological and behavioural effects of tryptamines present in psilocybin‐containing mushrooms
British Journal of Pharmacology June 2, 2024 Oscar Sandoval, Quynh Nguyen, Ryan J. Rakoczy et al. 23 citations
Several tryptamines found in psilocybin-containing mushrooms—baeocystin, norbaeocystin, and aeruginascin—were compared with psilocybin to assess their pharmacological and behavioral effects. All compounds showed nearly identical rates of dephosphorylation and metabolism by monoamine oxidase. Only dephosphorylated baeocystin and norbaeocystin crossed a blood–brain barrier mimetic as effectively as psilocin. Norbaeocystin's dephosphorylated form activated the 5-HT2A receptor with similar efficacy to psilocin and norpsilocin. While only psilocybin induced head twitch responses in rats (a marker of hallucinogenic potential), norbaeocystin, like psilocybin, improved outcomes in the forced swim test. All compounds showed minimal changes to renal and hepatic health markers, suggesting safe profiles. Norbaeocystin may share therapeutic potential with psilocybin without causing hallucinations.