Optimization through a Box–Behnken Experimental Design of the Microwave-Assisted Extraction of the Psychoactive Compounds in Hallucinogenic Fungi (Psylocibe cubensis)
Journal of Fungi June 2, 2022 Curro Polo-Castellano, José A. Álvarez, Miguel Palma et al. 19 citations
A microwave-assisted extraction method was optimized for extracting the alkaloids psilocin and psilocybin from Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms. Using a Box–Behnken design, the optimal conditions were 50 °C, 60% methanol as solvent, a 0.6 g sample to 10 mL solvent ratio, and 5 minutes of extraction time. These mild conditions, combined with rapid UHPLC analysis, provide a practical and economical methodology. This approach can help control the production of these alkaloids, which have therapeutic potential as antidepressants and anxiolytics.