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In Vitro Psilocybin to Psilocin Conversion Research

Three of our regular Mycopreneur Incubator attendees (shoutout Christopher Pauli, Caleb King, and Ian Bollinger of Tryptomics) recently published a research paper titled “Alkaloid In Vitro Prodrug Conversion without Alkaline Phosphatase Enzymes in an Acidic Environment” that explores the beneficial aspects of converting alkaloids like psilocybin into psilocin before ingestion.

Though psilocybin is often touted as the driving force of a psychedelic mushroom experience, it is actually the prodrug of psilocin, to which it converts after being ingested due to stomach acids breaking down the psilocybin molecule in a process known as dephosphorylation .

From the report: 

“Our study addresses the information gap concerning conversion by providing independent laboratory results detailing the conversion rates of several indole and pseudo-alkaloids (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients or "APIs") found in psychedelic mushrooms when exposed to an acidic environment (study uses pH 2.5) over specific time intervals. These findings are relevant to both therapists and consumers. 

Our hypothesis posits that a solely hydrolytic liquid acidic environment of at least pH 2.5, lacking the alkaline phosphatase enzyme typically involved in dephosphorylation, will convert 50% or more of the alkaloids present in psychedelic mushroom chitin  ("fruiting bodies") into their prodrug forms within 15 minutes, and 75% or more within 45 minutes.  

This research also aims to determine if psilocybin, norbaeocystin, and baeocystin can convert to their respective prodrug forms without using alkaline phosphatase enzymes for dephosphorylation. Although lacking phosphate groups, tryptamine and tryptophan are included as crucial precursors in the biosynthesis of phosphorylated tryptamines, while adenosine is included due to its presence, fundamental role in cellular energy transfer, and as a signaling molecule.”

(Note From The Editor: This summary is a condensed version of the research carried out by the Tryptomics team and attempts to summarize the experiment and results for a non-scientific audience. The experiments were conducted with psilocybin containing mushroom strain Enigma using fruiting bodies of the organism)

Results: 

●  The initial Enigma fruiting body contained less than 3% psilocin. 

●  After 15 minutes in lime juice, over 75% of the psilocybin had converted to 

psilocin. 

●  After 45 minutes in lime juice, over 85% of the psilocybin had converted to psilocin. 

Limitations: 

●  This study was conducted as a single replicate on one mushroom variety 

(Enigma). 

●  Only one brand of lime juice (Santa Cruz, pH 2.5) was tested. Therefore, the generalizability of these findings to other varieties or lime juice brands may be limited.

Conclusion of the study:

“This report presents preliminary data and a methodology for analyzing the stability and chemical transformations of several compounds found in certain mushroom species—namely norbaeocystin, psilocybin, tryptamine, tryptophan, adenosine, and baeocystin—during the "lemon teking" process. The primary objective was to study the conversion of psilocybin to psilocin and to assess the dephosphorylation rates of minor alkaloids, pseudo-alkaloids, and other APIs present in many psychedelic mushroom fruiting bodies in the absence of alkaline phosphatase enzymes.

Given the increasing interest in and accessibility of psilocybin for therapeutic purposes, transparent, laboratory-derived data and scientifically rigorous research are crucial for the scientific community, therapists, and consumers. We hope that this research and the presented data will be widely used by the community and referenced by local, state, federal, and international governments in the development of psychedelic therapy regulations. This evidence-based approach to regulation is essential for the safe and effective integration of psilocybin into therapeutic practices, safeguarding patients and the integrity of this developing field. Furthermore, broad access to reliable data will empower therapists to make informed treatment decisions and enable consumers to better understand the potential benefits and risks associated with psychedelic mushroom therapy.”

Drop into the Mycopreneur Incubator today and discuss this research and it’s practical applications in laymen’s terms with one of the study authors.

Some processes like ‘Lemon Tekking’, or in the case of this study ‘Lime Tekking’, are intended to mimic the function of stomach acid in the body to convert psilocybin into psilocin before ingestion, expediting the onset and intensity of a mushroom experience.

Check out recent Mycopreneur Podcast guest Chrysantilus sharing intel on Lemon Tekking in this awesome tutorial produced by acclaimed comedian Hannibal Buress of The Eric Andre Show etc.

Speaking of Chrysantilus, both of us are working with the extraordinary Minnesota Nice Ethnobotanicals. I can’t emphasize enough how big of an opportunity currently exists in the form of legally available turnkey Amanita muscaria mushroom procurement. I avoided Amanita muscaria like the plague forever simply because I didn’t know anyone personally who recommended using it or who spoke about positive experiences with it - when I met Gabe and Christian from “MN Nice”, that scenario shifted dramatically to the point where I’ve now consumed decarboxylated (aka safe to consume) Amanita muscaria powder in capsule form over 20 times as a sleep aid and deep dreaming inducer. Amanita muscaria works on the GABA receptors in the brain, which play a key role in regulating relaxation and calmness. It’s truly a fully legal ‘magic mushroom’ that has been used for millenia across the world, and you just found the most trusted source on the internet for it linked below:

Also, if you’re up for directly supporting the Mycopreneur Newsletter without spending any money and you have 30 seconds of time to invest right now, please click on the Collective and Besolo ads contained within this newsletter as they pay us $3.20 per verified click. What a deal.

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Mycelium Materials Masterclass

Recent Mycopreneur Podcast guest Andy Cartier of Studio Cartier in the Netherlands is hosting an online mycomaterials masterclass on Friday, June 27.

Andy has had an outsized impact on the world of mycelium materials design thanks to his contributions to last year’s ‘Mushroom Houses For Gaza’ exhibition at Dubai Design Week - a project which we cover in detail on our podcast together - and he’s also one of the design wizards behind the world’s first commercially available mycelium composite surfboard available now through the French outdoors company Koz.

There are only 15 spots in the class so check it out below and jump on this if the opportunity sounds right for you.

Swiss Scientists Develop Living Mycelium as Plastic Alternative

“Researchers at Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, have developed a groundbreaking living material made from split-gill mushroom mycelium that offers a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics, combining biodegradability with impressive mechanical strength while remaining completely alive throughout the manufacturing process.”

The mushroom used to develop this “living plastic alternative” is Schizophyllum commune, which very interestingly is described as having “up to 28,000 different sexes” due to it’s Four Locus mating system, where the A and B loci can each have multiple alleles, leading to a staggering number of possible mating outcomes.

(From the editor: There’s definitely a joke in here re: “Four Locus” and it’s phonetic homogeneity to “Four Loko”, the iconic and dangerous caffeinated alcoholic beverage of millions of intense hangovers past. This joke may be too niche to ever see the light of stage_, but in the right rooms it may be perfect.)

From the article: “The living fiber dispersions (LFD) technology represents a paradigm shift in sustainable materials science by preserving the fungal mycelium's living nature rather than isolating and chemically processing its components.”

So what’s the over-under on when ‘LFD’ mushroom plastic alternatives will be deployed commercially by companies like Pepsi and Nestlé , which respectively use approximately 2.5 million metric tons and 1.7 million tons of plastic annually in their products, and who have both invested in and incorporated mushrooms into their products over the last few years?

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Mycopreneur Incubator

The Mycopreneur Incubator is our weekly online accelerator for mushroom entrepreneurs and businesses - Even if you don’t identify as a ‘Mycopreneur’ but rather count yourself among the mushroom enthusiast or the mushroom researcher crowd, you are most welcome. We have real world collaborations, cross-pollinations, and deal flow that spin out of the incubator on a weekly basis. You never know who’s going to drop in or what kind of synchronicities, introductions or opportunities can spin out of an incubator session. “The smartest person in the room is the room”.

Time: Today, Jun 5 at 3 PM East Coast U.S. / 12 pm West Coast U.S.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87458073955?pwd=a1UBaOngtKGalaAxYoaWbWYevbbhA0.1

Meeting ID: 874 5807 3955

Passcode: 256836

If you plan on attending the Incubator, please make a financial contribution in the amount of your choice to the Venmo account below - for transparency, hosting this Incubator 18 times so far in 2025 has netted the Mycopreneur platform $230 in total. Let no one ever accuse us of being in this only for the money ( :

I’m also going to be in Chicago, Denver, San Diego and Los Angeles starting this weekend and through July so if you want to send me products you’re making or you want to try to lineup grabbing a cup of Lion’s Mane infused coffee together, hit me up!

If you’d like to sponsor an Incubator for the entire group, please reply to this email.

Alrighty then, thanks for reading the Mycopreneur Newsletter and see you at the Incubator today!

DW