A journey with psychedelic mushrooms: From historical relevance to biology, cultivation, medicinal uses, biotechnology, and beyond
Biotechnology Advances August 31, 2023 Marco Pepe, Mohsen Hesami, Karla A. de la Cerda et al. 35 citations
Psychedelic mushrooms that contain psilocybin and related tryptamines have a long history of traditional use, and recent evidence suggests they may have therapeutic value for neurological and psychiatric disorders. This review covers the diversity and distribution of these mushrooms, methods for quantifying tryptamines and related metabolites, and the biosynthetic pathways that produce them. It also describes how psilocybin and related tryptamines are metabolized in humans and their pharmacological effects, including both beneficial and hazardous health implications. The authors discuss opportunities for using biotechnology and machine learning to engineer mushroom secondary metabolite profiles and outline a roadmap for future research.