Extraction Yields of Psilocybin and Psilocin: A Short Review of Current Methods and Their Implications

Title & Introduction

• Paper Title: Extraction Yields of Psilocybin and Psilocin: A Short Review of Current Methods and Their Implications
• Published In: Pharmaceuticals
• Publish date: March 7, 2025
• Authors: Taynah P. Galdino, Lucas C. Oliveira, Mateus A. Luz, Raquel A. Jesus, Eunice P. N. Lima, Maria C. M. Torres, Katia Sivieri, Victor I. Afonso, João M. P. Q. Delgado, Antonio G. B. Lima, Suédina M. L. Silva, Marcus V. L. Fook
• Objective: To review and compare different methods for extracting psilocybin and psilocin from psychedelic mushrooms, assessing efficiency and practical implications.
• Importance: With increasing interest in psilocybin for therapeutic applications, optimizing extraction techniques is essential for ensuring quality, purity, and yield in both research and medical use.

Summary & Takeaways

Key Takeaway: Different extraction methods significantly impact psilocybin and psilocin yield, with ultrasonic bath extraction identified as the most effective approach.

Practical Application: Optimized extraction methods can enhance the production of pharmaceutical-grade psilocybin, improving consistency and reproducibility in psychedelic research and therapeutic applications.

Key Background Information

• Context: Psilocybin is gaining recognition for its therapeutic potential, but efficient and standardized extraction methods are needed to support clinical applications.
• Hypothesis: The choice of extraction method influences the yield and quality of psilocybin and psilocin, affecting their suitability for medical and research use.

Methodology

• Study Design: Systematic review of extraction and quantification methods.
• Participants: Analysis of 25 studies selected from a pool of 9,152 publications.
• Intervention/Exposure: Comparison of chemical extraction techniques, including ultrasonic bath extraction, solvent-based methods, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for compound quantification.
• Controls: Comparison of different extraction parameters such as temperature, solvent-to-material ratio, and extraction time.
• Duration: Review of studies spanning several decades of research.

Key Findings

Primary Outcomes:

• Ultrasonic bath extraction yields the highest psilocybin and psilocin concentrations.
• The choice of solvent significantly affects extraction efficiency, with polar solvents performing best.
• High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is the most effective method for compound quantification.

Secondary Outcomes:

• Different Psilocybe species exhibit variability in psilocybin content.
• Factors such as temperature, solvent composition, and extraction duration influence final yields.
• Standardization of extraction protocols is necessary for consistency in pharmaceutical applications.

Interpretation & Implications

• Conclusion: Optimizing extraction techniques enhances psilocybin yield and purity, improving its application in research and medicine.
• Implications: Standardized extraction protocols will support regulatory approval and large-scale pharmaceutical production.
• Limitations: Further research is needed to refine methods for large-scale industrial application.

Researchers & Publication

• Researchers: Taynah P. Galdino, Lucas C. Oliveira, Mateus A. Luz, Raquel A. Jesus, Eunice P. N. Lima, Maria C. M. Torres, Katia Sivieri, Victor I. Afonso, João M. P. Q. Delgado, Antonio G. B. Lima, Suédina M. L. Silva, Marcus V. L. Fook
• Publication Name: Pharmaceuticals
• Study URL: doi.org/10.3390/ph18030380