Psilocybin

Psilocybin
INN: Psilocybine
Kekulé, skeletal formula of canonical psilocybin
Ball-and-stick model of canonical psilocybin
Clinical data
Pronunciation/ˌsləˈsbɪn/ sy-lə-SY-bin, /ˌsɪl-/
Other namesPsilocybine; Psilocibin; Psylocybin; Psilotsibin; Psilocin phosphate; Psilocin phosphate ester; O-Phosphoryl-4-hydroxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine; 4-Phosphoryloxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine; 4-Phosphoryl-N,N-dimethyltryptamine; 4-PO-DMT; COMP360; COMP-360; CY-39; CY39; PSOP, Psilocybin (USAN US)
Dependence
liability
Low[1][2][3][4][5]
Addiction
liability
Low[1][6]
Routes of
administration
Drug classSerotonergic psychedelic; Hallucinogen; Serotonin receptor agonist; Serotonin 5-HT2A receptor agonist[8]
ATC code
  • None
Legal status
Legal status
Pharmacokinetic data
BioavailabilityOral: 52.7 ± 20.4% (as psilocin) (n=3)[10][11][12]
Protein binding66%[13]
MetabolismLiver, other tissues:[11][10][7][20]
Dephosphorylation (ALPTooltip alkaline phosphatase)
Demethylation and deamination (MAOTooltip monoamine oxidase)
Oxidation (ALDHTooltip aldehyde dehydrogenase)
Glucuronidation (UGTs)
MetabolitesPsilocin[11][10][7]
• Psilocin-O-glucuronide[10][7]
• 4-Hydroxyindole-3-acetaldehyde[10][7]
• 4-Hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (4-HIAA)[10][7]
• 4-Hydroxytryptophol[10][7]
Onset of actionOral: 0.5–0.8 (range 0.1–1.5) h[14][11]
Elimination half-lifeOral (as psilocin): 2.1–4.7 h (range 1.2–18.6 h)[10][15][16]
IVTooltip Intravenous administration (as psilocin): 1.2 h (range 1.8–4.5 h)[10][2]
Duration of actionOral: 4–6 h (range 3–12 h)[11][17][18]
IVTooltip Intravenous injection: 15–30 min (1 mg)[2][12]
ExcretionUrine (mainly as psilocin-O-glucuronide, 2–4% as unchanged psilocin)[10][7][19]
Identifiers
  • [3-[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]-1H-indol-4-yl] dihydrogen phosphate
CAS Number
PubChem CID
DrugBank
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
ChEBI
ChEMBL
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
ECHA InfoCard100.007.542 Edit this at Wikidata
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC12H17N2O4P
Molar mass284.252 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
Melting point220–228 °C (428–442 °F) [21]
  • CN(C)CCC1=CNC2=C1C(=CC=C2)OP(=O)(O)O
  • InChI=1S/C12H17N2O4P/c1-14(2)7-6-9-8-13-10-4-3-5-11(12(9)10)18-19(15,16)17/h3-5,8,13H,6-7H2,1-2H3,(H2,15,16,17) checkY
  • Key:QVDSEJDULKLHCG-UHFFFAOYSA-N checkY
  (verify)

Psilocybin, also known as 4-phosphoryloxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (4-PO-DMT),[a] is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound produced by more than 200 species of mushrooms.[18] Effects include euphoria, hallucinations, changes in perception, a distorted sense of time,[23] and perceived spiritual experiences. It can also cause adverse reactions such as nausea and panic attacks. Its effects depend on set and setting and one's expectations.[11][24]

Psilocybin is a prodrug of psilocin.[18] That is, the compound itself is biologically inactive but quickly converted by the body to psilocin.[18] Psilocybin is transformed into psilocin by dephosphorylation mediated via phosphatase enzymes.[25][18] Psilocin is chemically related to the neurotransmitter serotonin and acts as a non-selective agonist of the serotonin receptors.[18] Activation of one serotonin receptor, the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor, is specifically responsible for the hallucinogenic effects of psilocin and other serotonergic psychedelics.[18] Psilocybin is usually taken orally.[18] By this route, its onset is about 20 to 50 minutes, peak effects occur after around 60 to 90 minutes, and its duration is about 4 to 6 hours.[11][17][18][14]

Imagery in cave paintings and rock art of modern-day Algeria and Spain suggests that human use of psilocybin mushrooms predates recorded history.[26] In Mesoamerica, the mushrooms had long been consumed in spiritual and divinatory ceremonies before Spanish chroniclers first documented their use in the 16th century. In 1958, the Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann isolated psilocybin and psilocin from the mushroom Psilocybe mexicana. His employer, Sandoz, marketed and sold pure psilocybin to physicians and clinicians worldwide for use in psychedelic therapy. Increasingly restrictive drug laws of the 1960s and the 1970s curbed scientific research into the effects of psilocybin and other hallucinogens, but its popularity as an entheogen (spirituality-enhancing agent) grew in the next decade, owing largely to the increased availability of information on how to cultivate psilocybin mushrooms.

Possession of psilocybin-containing mushrooms has been outlawed in most countries, and psilocybin has been classified as a Schedule I controlled substance under the 1971 United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances. Psilocybin is being studied as a possible medicine in the treatment of psychiatric disorders such as depression and obsessive–compulsive disorder and other conditions such as cluster headaches.[27] It is in late-stage clinical trials for treatment-resistant depression.[28][29][30]

  1. ^ a b Johnson MW, Griffiths RR, Hendricks PS, Henningfield JE (November 2018). "The abuse potential of medical psilocybin according to the 8 factors of the Controlled Substances Act". Neuropharmacology. 142: 143–166. doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.05.012. PMC 6791528. PMID 29753748.
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  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Lowe H, Toyang N, Steele B, Valentine H, Grant J, Ali A, et al. (May 2021). "The Therapeutic Potential of Psilocybin". Molecules. 26 (10): 2948. doi:10.3390/molecules26102948. PMC 8156539. PMID 34063505.
  8. ^ Szafoni S, Gręblowski P, Grabowska K, Więckiewicz G (June 11, 2024). "Unlocking the healing power of psilocybin: an overview of the role of psilocybin therapy in major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and substance use disorder". Frontiers in Psychiatry. 15: 1406888. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1406888. PMC 11196758. PMID 38919636.
  9. ^ Anvisa (July 24, 2023). "RDC Nº 804 - Listas de Substâncias Entorpecentes, Psicotrópicas, Precursoras e Outras sob Controle Especial" [Collegiate Board Resolution No. 804 - Lists of Narcotic, Psychotropic, Precursor, and Other Substances under Special Control] (in Brazilian Portuguese). Diário Oficial da União (published July 25, 2023). Archived from the original on August 27, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Cite error: The named reference DoddNormanEyre2023 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ a b c d e f g MacCallum CA, Lo LA, Pistawka CA, Deol JK (2022). "Therapeutic use of psilocybin: Practical considerations for dosing and administration". Frontiers in Psychiatry. 13: 1040217. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1040217. PMC 9751063. PMID 36532184.
  12. ^ a b Hasler F, Bourquin D, Brenneisen R, Bär T, Vollenweider FX (June 1997). "Determination of psilocin and 4-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid in plasma by HPLC-ECD and pharmacokinetic profiles of oral and intravenous psilocybin in man". Pharm Acta Helv. 72 (3): 175–184. doi:10.1016/s0031-6865(97)00014-9. PMID 9204776.
  13. ^ Čampara A, Kovačić D (2024). "Exploring Psilocybin as a Tool for Studying Parkinsonism-Related Psychosis: A Narrative Review Supplemented with a Computational Approach". MEDICON'23 and CMBEBIH'23. IFMBE Proceedings. Vol. 94. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. pp. 530–547. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-49068-2_54. ISBN 978-3-031-49067-5. With a logS value of −3.009 and a plasma protein binding of 0.66, respectively, psilocybin has poor water solubility and is moderately bound to plasma proteins.
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  17. ^ a b Yerubandi A, Thomas JE, Bhuiya NM, Harrington C, Villa Zapata L, Caballero J (April 2024). "Acute Adverse Effects of Therapeutic Doses of Psilocybin: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis". JAMA Network Open. 7 (4): e245960. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.5960. PMC 11007582. PMID 38598236. When selecting adverse event profile rates, the shortest time period available was selected and analyzed (eg, day 1 instead of day 30) since the half-life of psilocin is 3 ± 1.1 hours when taken orally and the duration of action can range between 3 to 12 hours.12,13
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h i Geiger HA, Wurst MG, Daniels RN (October 2018). "DARK Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Psilocybin" (PDF). ACS Chem Neurosci. 9 (10): 2438–2447. doi:10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00186. PMID 29956917.
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  20. ^ Coppola M, Bevione F, Mondola R (February 2022). "Psilocybin for Treating Psychiatric Disorders: A Psychonaut Legend or a Promising Therapeutic Perspective?". Journal of Xenobiotics. 12 (1): 41–52. doi:10.3390/jox12010004. PMC 8883979. PMID 35225956.
  21. ^ Merck Index, 11th Edition, 7942
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  23. ^ Siegel JS, Subramanian S, Perry D, Kay BP, Gordon EM, Laumann TO, et al. (August 2024). "Psilocybin desynchronizes the human brain". Nature. 632 (8023): 131–138. Bibcode:2024Natur.632..131S. doi:10.1038/s41586-024-07624-5. PMC 11291293. PMID 39020167.
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  26. ^ "Plants of Mind and Spirit - Fungi". July 19, 2022. Archived from the original on July 19, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  27. ^ Madden K, Flood B, Young Shing D, Ade-Conde M, Kashir I, Mark M, et al. (October 2024). "Psilocybin for clinical indications: A scoping review". J Psychopharmacol. 38 (10): 839–845. doi:10.1177/02698811241269751. PMC 11481402. PMID 39135496.
  28. ^ Melani A, Bonaso M, Biso L, Zucchini B, Conversano C, Scarselli M (January 2025). "Uncovering Psychedelics: From Neural Circuits to Therapeutic Applications". Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 18 (1): 130. doi:10.3390/ph18010130. PMC 11769142. PMID 39861191.
  29. ^ Najib J (October 2024). "The role of psilocybin in depressive disorders". Curr Med Res Opin. 40 (10): 1793–1808. doi:10.1080/03007995.2024.2396536. PMID 39177339.
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