Journal of ethnopharmacology
February 10, 2024
Alberto Hernandez-Leon, Raúl Iván Escamilla-Orozco, Aylín R Tabal-Robles et al.
29 citations
High doses of Psilocybe cubensis mushroom, given orally or by injection, produced antidepressant- and anxiety-reducing effects in mice without signs of neurotoxicity. The mushroom's polar aqueous extract, which contained psilocybin and psilocin, was particularly effective. In behavioral tests, the mushroom and its extracts matched the effects of standard antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs. The lethal dose was greater than 2000 mg/kg, indicating low acute toxicity. These preclinical results suggest the mushroom may be a safe and effective treatment for anxiety and depression.
Neurotoxicology
March 1, 2022
María Eva González-Trujano, Felix Krengel, Ricardo Reyes-Chilpa et al.
14 citations
A hydroalcoholic extract of Tabernaemontana arborea and its alkaloids ibogaine and voacangine altered brain electrical activity in mice. The extract at 56.2 and 100 mg/kg and ibogaine at 30 mg/kg increased delta and reduced alpha EEG band power, indicating central nervous system depression. Voacangine at 30 mg/kg flattened EEG patterns. None of the treatments modified seizures induced by pentylenetetrazole, but the extract at 100 mg/kg combined with the convulsant caused sudden death. Paroxysmal EEG activity from the extract and ibogaine was explored; a serotonin 5-HT1A receptor antagonist blocked the extract's but not ibogaine's paroxysmal activity, implicating serotonin neurotransmission in the extract's excitatory effects.
Phytotherapy research : PTR
July 1, 2016
María Eva González-Trujano, Fernando Brindis, Edith López-ruiz et al.
10 citations
Extracts of the herb Salvia divinorum produce sedative-like effects in mice and rats, altering normal sleep patterns. In mice, non-polar, medium polar, and polar extracts all reduced activity, with the medium polar extract showing the strongest effects. In rats, the medium polar extract, which contains salvinorins, fragmented sleep by decreasing rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and increasing quiet wakefulness at doses of 10 and 100 mg/kg. These findings indicate that S. divinorum has depressant properties that disrupt physiological sleep architecture, supporting its traditional use as a tranquilizer but raising questions about its safety for sleep.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
August 18, 2023
Raul Escamilla, María Eva González-Trujano, Jesús M González Mariscal et al.
7 citations
Psilocybin, a natural alkaloid in Psilocybe mushrooms endemic to Mexico, represents a novel and breakthrough therapy for major depression. Current antidepressant treatments require prolonged use with modest effects, adverse effects, and relapse upon discontinuation. This report presents a research project design that includes preclinical toxicity and pharmacological evaluation of a Psilocybe cubensis extract in mice, chemical analysis of the mushroom's constituents, and a clinical study. The clinical component will assess safety and tolerated doses in healthy adults via pharmacokinetic measurements, followed by an open trial in patients with major depressive disorder comparing two single doses of Psilocybe cubensis with assisted psychotherapy to traditional care at a Mexican institute.
Journal of the Mexican Chemical Society
July 7, 2026
Aylín R. Tabal-Robles, J. Martin Torres-Valencia, Leticia Romero-Bautista et al.
A review of chemical studies on Psilocybe mushrooms, covering publications from 1958 to 2025, identified at least 50 different metabolites across 32 species. Most metabolites were alkaloids with indole structures, responsible for psychotropic properties, but amino acids, terpenoids, and saccharides were also reported. The genus comprises about 165 hallucinogenic species, yet information on non-alkaloid metabolites remains scarce.
Molecules
April 18, 2026
Flor Eréndira Sánchez-cortés, Nelly Maritza Vega-Rivera, Raúl Iván Escamilla-Orozco et al.
Microdosing an aqueous extract of Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms produces anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects in mice comparable to a single macrodose and the antidepressant fluoxetine. Over ten days of repeated microdosing, the extract also altered brain electrical activity (electrocorticography), promoted dendritic maturation in hippocampal neurons, and changed corticosterone levels. These findings suggest that P. cubensis may offer a therapeutic alternative for anxiety and depression, with microdosing providing benefits similar to larger doses.